Different Paths, 5 of 5
by PrueTrudeau
Summary: last chapter up! 5th in my series. prue and andy are married and await the birth of their first child... will there be more charmed kids? and who will they be? read and review! it's not neccesary to have read the
1. Our little soccer player

_**Different Paths Part 1:**  
_**Our little soccer player  
**

**--------------------**

**_About 2 months later (Prue's in 26th week):_**  
Andy came home from work. He still had been at several baby shops to get catalogues for the furniture of the baby room. He placed his jacket on a hook in the wardrobe and then went to the dining, where he guessed everyone was at dinner-time. He went smiling into the dining and everyone glanced at him  
"hey"  
he said smiling and got in return 5 other hey's. He looked at Prue, but didn't see her  
"where's Prue? She not eating? Now that's a wonder"  
"she made herself before some noodle soup with cornflakes and honey..."   
"Which by the way was really disgusting to watch"  
Phoebe added  
"yeah"  
Paige nodded  
"yeah well... anyway… afterwards she mumbled something like... Andy doesn't have time anyway to do it... so I finally will do it"  
"what?"  
"Paint the baby room"  
Andy sighted and rolled his eyes... then took a calming breath... at least he tried to calm down  
"Why didn't you guys stop her?"  
"Well... we wanted to... but she wouldn't listen..."  
"and you know how stubborn Prue's when it's turning about something she thinks is necessary"  
Andy turned around on his heel and while going upstairs he tried to calm himself down even more  
"you won't freak... you won't freak... you won't freak..."  
he mumbled over and over again. A she came closer to their room he heard music coming from it and as he was just right outside of it, he also could hear Prue singing to the music  
"Ooh baby love, my baby love. I need you, oh how I need you. But all you do is treat me bad. Break my heart and leave me sad. Tell me, what did I do wrong to make you stay away so long"  
Andy opened the door carefully and then entered their room he went through to their closet, which would become the future baby room as soon as it was painted and had a new floor inside and everything... Andy smiled at the image. Prue was painting... but it looked more like she was dancing and singing. The brush was used as microphone and Prue was dancing around while painting a little here and a little there. Despite the amazing look Andy still cleared his throat, getting Prue's attention.  
"Andy... heeey... we're dancing"  
Prue said grinning as she found the best excuse for painting the baby room, despite Andy told her not to, because of the smells, which sometimes were poisoning both, mother and child  
"I can see that"   
Andy said smiling and went towards her. he kissed her and while being so close to her, he could feel the baby moving pretty much... he smiled even more and turned away  
"sooo... you're dancing too, huh?"  
Andy asked, kneeling down in front of Prue and touching her stomach gently. The baby calmed down a little as she felt the gentle touches of her father. Prue just smiled down at Andy and used her telekinesis to turn the music off.  
"Now I know why she didn't want to let me sleep..."  
Prue said smiling   
"really? You were missing daddy?"  
Andy asked smiling and kissed Prue's belly before getting up again  
"we were"  
Prue told him as Andy kissed her again  
"okay... now daddy is here and mommy can sleep a while"  
Andy said as he pulled away   
"but... what about the painting... she's very thrilled to have that peach bedroom"  
Prue explained Andy "daddy will do that now... cause daddy always said, mommy shall not do this cause of all of the poisoning steams"  
"we both know... there still wouldn't be painted an inch, if it wasn't for me..."  
"yeah... but I don't want something to happen to one of you... so could you just leave such things to me"  
"you don't have the time for that... not even now... cause you're hungry"  
Prue said grinning  
"I think she's telepathic or empathic... or something like that"  
Prue said grinning  
"riiiight... well then c'mon... we're going to eat... and then I paint the room, while you can go through the furniture catalogues I brought along..."   
"I don't want to look through them... can't we just go and shop for it? I prefer seeing what I buy... only if you can touch and experience with it... you know if it's good or not"  
"okay... okay... I'll try to get a day off in the next few days..."   
"Thank you"  
Prue said smiling and they kissed again  
"and you are sure... you can handle that... walking for hours through the baby center?"  
"it's better than sitting or laying whole day around... it's boring and I start to not be able to sit or lay anymore... I wanna do something... not just this... three times a week 'workout' we do together... I wanna go with you to the park... or out to lunch... or I don't know... just anything... and not just sit or lay somewhere in the house... every hour one of you passing by to ask if I need something... it's annoying... jut like the backache... and why does she always not want to sleep when I do want to sleep?"  
Andy smiled a little and just kissed her   
"okay... then how about this... whether we do a workout in the evening... or you come in the noon to the station and we spent my lunch break together... with whatever you'd like to"  
Andy told her. Prue just smiled  
"did I mention, that I love you?"   
she asked grinning as they kissed again, but where interrupted by a kick towards both of their stomachs  
"I think she's gonna be a soccer player..."

**--------------------**

**AN:  
**hmm... okay... so I named it for now different pathy...c aus eteh story is going a different path from the story... couldn#t think of something else... but i'm open for suggestions and happy about every name for it ;)

And now... you guys didn#t think about me stopping my series just as kids enter the story and things start to get intresting, now do you? ;) so yes... it's another part and it'll keep some surprise for you ;)


	2. Disappointments

_**Different Paths Part 2:**  
_**Disappointments  
**

**--------------------**

**_A few weeks later (29th week of pregnancy):  
_**Prue was waiting in the swimming hall for Andy. He never had been late. Well lately he was. Often. She didn't understand why, because she always thought she and their daughter would be more important to him than his freaking job. But lately it seemed the other way round. Or was there something else? He not even was right on time for the visits in the several birth houses and hospitals. But he never had been late for the workout. She looked at her watch. It was already 45 minutes, since they were supposed to meet. Prue sighted. She was tired and wouldn't do anything without him tonight. She needed a few minutes to get up, but managed to do so anyway. She trotted back to the changing cabinet, when Piper just ran out of it  
"Prue!"   
she said smiling...  
"let's go... do your exercises"  
"what?"  
Prue asked confused  
"Piper... what are you doing here? Where's Andy?"  
"He told Leo he couldn't make it... and so I decided to take his place"  
Prue sighted and went past Piper back into the changing rooms. Piper looked after her and then followed Prue  
"oh c'mon sweetie... we'll have fun as well"  
Prue shook her head slightly  
"I'm tired"  
she whispered. Piper sighted  
"okay... then let's go home... I'll drive ya... Leo can pick your car later"  
Prue just nodded and then disappeared in one of the rooms with her things. Piper looked after her. Prue agreed to be driven... that meant it was bad... Piper got changed again and waited outside for Prue, who went past her without a word. She went straight for Piper's car and waited there for piper to unlock it. Piper went up to her car as well, unlocked it and picked Prue's bag from her. She put hers and Prue's into the trunk and then got into the driver's side. Prue sat there and just looked out of the window...  
"Prue... what... what is it?"  
Prue shook her head  
"nothing"  
she said in a whisper  
"I know you my whole life... I know when there's something wrong with you..."  
"I... I slowly... think... he betrays me... he's never there... and... How could love such a fat and huge whale... the last few weeks... everything was more important than me and the baby... I... what if it's true?"  
Prue asked... as tears spilled from her eyes. Piper looked down. She could imagine how Prue felt. She had felt this way a million times before. But on the other hand. She was not pregnant.  
"Prue... I'm sure..."  
"I... don't want to talk right now, Piper... please... let's just go home, okay?"  
Prue kind of begged. Piper looked at Prue and how she started to stare out of the window into the dark night. Tears still streaming down her face. Piper looked down again and sighted. She wanted to help her big sister, but the only one to help her now was Andy. Piper finally started the car and drove back to the manor. As she stopped the car again, Prue got out of the car and went for the trunk to get her back  
"it's okay... I'm gonna do take it"  
Piper told her.  
"Thanks"   
Prue answered and went inside the manor and straight up to her room. She sat down on the edge of the bed and just starred ahead. Her hand was placed on her stomach and she could feel the soft kicks of her daughter inside of her. She sighted and got up. She opened the door to the baby room. And looked inside. It was all set for the birth of her daughter. She looked around and sighted again. "Maybe we will have to handle life without daddy, baby girl" she said, as fresh tears ran down her face. She went over to the rocking chair and let herself fall down into it. She grabbed for the music box, which was hidden inside of a little towelling star. She pulled the string and held it to her stomach, knowing it'd calm the baby. Prue just starred ahead till she, too fell asleep.

3 hours later Andy entered their bedroom. Piper had told him, she was in their bedroom. He had a bunch of red roses along. He sighted as he didn't see her anyway in the room and then saw the low light coming from the baby room. He went towards it... ready to apologise... but he found Prue asleep in the rocking chair. Her cheeks still slightly wet from crying before. He bit his lip. And then laid the roses down on the changing table, then carefully, not to wake her went over to the rocking chair. He picked her gently up and carried her to the bedroom. He placed her on the bed and covered her up, then kissed her forehead and brushed the leftovers of her tears away. Andy just watched her several more minutes  
"I'm sorry"  
he whispered before orbing out again.

**--------------------**

**AN:  
**thanxs for all the reviews!! I'm thrilled to get so much feedback!

peanut2lb thank you evry much for your research... you found the word for what I actually wanted to 'invent' lol! But I have a few more powers for the little witchlighter in commong. They'll be displayed soon. I Hope.

PrUe AnD Andy: thank you for the encouraging words! You#re the best

wyatt333 I will check out your story. I promise. Just that at the moment I have a lot of stuff to do before school starts again.  
Preshia Marie Halliwell thanxs for having the patience to read all of it... at once ;)

jdjams: yeha I know... it seems like a gasp between my chapter 2 and three. But in that gasp everything happened like it did on charmed. I wanted to write a bit more of the seasons. And I'll will... but for now I just want to give my creativity for once free turn ;) it'll come, promisse!

Faith Kingsley I honestly have no diea if they both have walk-in-closets... but... where to put the baby else?? Hope you guys are not too mad for that tiny maybe change detail...


	3. Things get serious

_**Different Paths Part 3:**  
_**Things get serious  
**

**--------------------**

Prue came the next morning down the stairs and went straight for the kitchen.  
"Morning"  
she mumbled as she sat down on the table in the kitchen  
"morning"  
she got as answer from Leo, piper and Phoebe  
"where's Paige?"  
"She had last night a date with Glenn... I don't think she came back home..."   
Phoebe said as she stood close to the sink  
"umm... Pheebs... can you hand me a mug of coffee over, please?"  
"Prue... we had an agreement we let you continue to drink coffee till the last trimester if you promise us to not drink coffee anymore in the last one"  
"well I don't care... I have in an hour a doctor's appointment and the man, who is supposed to be my husband and the father of this child... is once again nowhere to be found!"  
"Did you try to call him already?"  
"Yes... he's not reacting on my calls"  
Leo tried to ignore the conversation. But finally Piper shot her looks at him  
"Leo... do you know where Andy is and why he's not reacting on Prue's calls even thought he's her whitelighter?"  
"He's on an important mission"  
Leo lied  
"I'm sick of this... you can't tell me he's the past few weeks like permanently on a special mission, Leo! If he betrays me you or he could at least be as kind to tell me!!!"  
Prue yelled at him as she pushed herself up from her chair again. She went for the wardrobe, ignoring the calls of her sisters. She got her jacket, pulled it around her and then reached into her pocket. Her ceil and keys were there... what was everything she needed right now. She went for the front door, just as Piper and Phoebe hurried after her and the front door flung opened  
"a wonderful good morning everybody"  
Paige announced. Prue just ignored her and rushed past Paige and hurried to her car...  
"Wha..."  
"Why didn't you stop her?"  
"Excuse me?"  
"It's okay honey... it's nothing"  
Phoebe told Paige and wrapped an arm around her...

Andy was in heaves and talked with patty  
"you need to talk to her… I can't always come back… Prue needs me now..."  
"I know…. But she just misses you... a lot"  
"I understand that... but... I can't do this anymore... I can't permanently lie to her! not to her"  
"then tell her..."  
"I can't hurt her like that..."  
"You should"  
Patty said serious... Andy looked down at his watch  
"shit!"  
he cursed and without another word disappeared in bright blue orbs

Prue sat up once more form the ultra sounds.  
"well... everything looks fine... even though I'm a little worried about your blood pressure... did you have a lot of stress lately?"  
dr Andrews asked  
"umm... yeah my... my husband and I had some problems"   
"well... if we don't want this little girl of yours to be premature you should rest the next few days. Relax. Let yourself be pampered till your blood pressure is down again. Also leave the work out for a few days"  
"okay... thanks"  
Prue said smiling as she got completely dressed again. She got up and left the doctor's room again... just as Andy ran up to the door... bumping like directly into her  
"Prue... I'm so..."  
"Sorry?"   
Prue asked ironically  
"I don't want to hear this anymore! Be there or we soon enough will have serious troubles here!"  
Prue yelled at him a she passed him. Andy sighted and ran after her   
"Prue... listen to me, please"  
"I don't want to hear your apologies anymore, Andy... where were you last night? I waited nearly an hour for you!"  
"I know... I'm sorry"  
"I didn't want to know if you are sorry or not... I wanted to know where you were"  
"I can't tell you..."  
"Why not?"   
"Prue..."  
"No... Where were you? What did you do?"   
"I... sweetie... I can't tell you... I'm sorry"  
"well you better soon find something you can tell me... or you finally just tell me who it is, you sleep with!"  
"What?"  
"Oooh did I find out about your little secret?"  
"Prue... it's not like you think it is... "  
"I don't care what it is... it's simply driving my condition down... and driving me slowly as far as to go into pre-mature-labour... whether you are there now or you stay away from me and MY daughter!"  
Prue yelled at him as she got into the car again, driving off and left Andy standing there alone.

**--------------------**

**AN:  
**peanut2lb: she'll never get to know where he goes off to... and you! Shush! Knew you'd get who he visits... but want to keep the others more in tehd ark! So shush!

Preshia Marie Halliwell you having msn messenger? Caus eia dde du there... otherwise just write me an e-mail to my adresse I put onto my profile...

Wyatt333: it wasn#t like the crying thing... the crying thing was more like pressuring something... this time this is serious...


	4. Forever and for always'

_**Different Paths Part 4:**  
_**'Forever and for always'  
**

**--------------------**

**_The next day:_**

Andy orbed to the manor and found Leo there  
"tell her"   
"where are Piper, Phoebe and Paige? "  
Andy asked   
"Andy... you need to tell her... this ruins your marriage..."   
"Piper! Phoebe! Paige!"  
he called lowly and Piper entered   
"you're such a bastard"  
"what?"  
"How can you betray her?"  
"I'm not betraying her... I just... have a charge... had a charge... no one else cyan take over."  
"Oh sure"  
Piper said rolling her eyes  
"fine... then don't believe me... can you do me a favour?"  
"I'm not sure... can you distract Prue for a while? I planned something..."  
Andy told her. Piper eyed him critically...  
"Okay... I can try"   
"Piper... get her out of our room..."  
"Okay..."  
Andy orbed out again and waited for piper to get Prue out of their room.

Andy finally orbed into their room. He placed a million of rosebuds on the bed and around it. Then placed a letter on top of it and a key on top of the letter, then orbed out again.

Prue was completely annoyed by her sisters but still kept making small talk with them... till she finally found a way to escape. She went upstairs and found everything Andy had placed there she sighted   
"this is very cute, but... you know exactly it won't work"   
she said a bit more loud and sat down on the bed... she looked down at the letter and finally noticed the key. She got suspicious and picked it up along with the letter

dear Prue.

I know you are upset. I know you hate me probably right now for what I did do to you and our baby the last weeks, but I want you to know, that I'm truly sorry.  
I know you don't want to hear sorry again, but I promise you don't have to hear it anymore, if you just forgive me now. I gave this 'special' charge up. For u. for our daughter. For us. For our family.  
I love you with all my heart and I promise, something like that won't happen ever again.  
I know this is getting lame, but if you forgive me, come to 'our' hotel, where I and our room are waiting for you.

Love always  
Andy

Prue smiled a little and let the letter sink down. She looked at the letter  
"we gonna go see daddy, what do you say?"  
she asked their daughter, who seemed to react excitingly onto the word daddy, as she started to kick right away when Prue said it. Prue smiled slightly  
"okay... then let's go"  
Prue said smiling as she grabbed the key and got up again. She went back downstairs, grabbed her jacket and then went to her car. She got inside and drove to 'their' hotel

Prue entered their room and was amazed by the view. She smiled slightly. It was decorated as it usual was... roses and candles everywhere. But as weird as it sounded, Andy was nowhere. She went up to the bed and found a note lying there...  
"Go to the bathroom"  
she read out loud.  
"What the..."  
she asked as she went to the bathroom. She opened the door and a warm and sweet smelling air blew at her. She saw the room completely in candles and roses pedals and Andy laying in a bubble bath  
"finally"  
he said smiling at her. Prue smiled back and closed the door. Andy got out of the bathtub and went up to her... slowly undressing her  
"I'm really sorry"  
he said as she stood naked in front of him... one hand stroking through her hair, the other crawling her stomach  
"I know"  
she whispered  
"I love you"  
"I love you too"   
Prue told him and Andy leaned down and kissed her  
"you believe me I didn't..."  
"Yeah... well... I Hope you didn't... and... You better pray if you did it... I never find out or else I'm killing ya"  
Andy smiled and kissed her again   
"there's nothing to find out..."  
he told her and lead her back to the huge bathtub as both climbed in  
"I'd have Champaign but... you shouldn't"  
"one glass is good for the procedure of creating milk, you know?"  
Andy grinned and kissed her  
"I was so scared I'd loose you"  
"you'll never ever get rid of me again... I promised you that, remember? 'forever and for always'"  
he answered and kissed her gently... pulling her closer


	5. Oh my god!

_**Different Paths Part 5:**  
_**Oh my god!  
**

**--------------------**

**_3 weeks later (32nd week of pregnancy; 8th month):  
_**Prue and Andy lay on the bed. It was already 11. They went to bed about 8 o'clock. They cuddle and caressed each other and the growing belly for hours now. Andy talked to the baby, which reacted already very much on his voice, while Prue kept eating. Andy still watched and caressed the stomach as he suddenly found a weird bump on Prue's stomach   
"Prue..."  
"Yes?"  
"Look"  
he said pointing to the little bump. Prue smiled a little at Andy's shocked face   
"honey... that's her hand"  
Prue said grinning and showed Andy along the contours of the tiny hand showing on her stomach. Andy smiled as well a little and caressed the bump, trying to see if there was a reaction and really it seemed to have, as the little baby girl started to kick and wriggle around...  
"Oooh great"  
Prue said, as Andy had woken her completely from her slumber again... while she slowly really wanted to sleep. She pushed his hand away and carefully and gently crawled her stomach...   
"Shshshs... It's okay... just go to sleep, sweetie"  
Prue said gently and then looked at Andy  
"get me her star"  
she told him and Andy grabbed for the little yellow star with the music box inside. Prue started it and placed it on her stomach. This always calmed her. And she was glad it did. They that way had already something to get her to sleep later on. Prue felt after only a few seconds once again the need to pee  
"oh damn it"  
"heeey! No cursing in front of the baby... she can hear ya"  
"yeah... yeah... but this peeing is going on my nerves"  
Prue said, pushing the star away, removed the coverlet and after some fighting got herself into a sitting position. Andy helped her up, knowing she wasn't able to do it anymore on her own. Then Prue hurried off to the bathroom. She returned to the bedroom again and laid back down again  
"she calmed again... so let's go to sleep while I still have the chance to"  
Prue told him...  
"Okay..."  
Andy said as he watched Prue settle down again. She lay on the side and placed a few of the millions of pillows around her. Andy turned the light off and wrapped his arms around her as best as he could. Or to say it better: He placed one of them on her stomach and with the other held the hand of Prue, which her head was placed on. Prue was just slightly sleeping, when her eyes shot open again  
"Andy..."   
"Mhmm..."  
he murmured, as good as asleep as well  
"my water just broke..."  
Prue told him.  
"Okay"  
Andy mumbled, as he didn't get the words just yet. A few seconds later he gasped and shot up into a sitting position  
"what did you just say?"  
"My water broke"  
Prue returned in a calm voice. Andy turned the light back on and Prue could see his panicked expression  
"you sure?"  
he asked. Prue didn't answer but just pulled the covers away, showing him the wet space on the bed and his boxers, she wore.  
"Oh my god! Your water broke!!"  
"I said that already"  
Prue said gently and started to rub her stomach slightly, while Andy tried to calm himself down...  
"O... o... okay... um... that's... good... tha... that's great... we'll have our baby soon..."  
"Andy, could you stop babbling now and help me here?"  
"okay... umm... okay... can... can you get changed into some night gown and then go to the baby room and sit down in the rocking chair... while I get your sisters and new bed sheets?"  
"Yeah... just... help me up... then I'm fine"   
Prue answered. Andy automatically jumped up and helped her to get up as well.  
"I... I... I'm right back... o... okay?"  
Prue nodded and received a tiny kiss on her lips.  
"I love you"  
he told her before hurrying out to the hall.  
"Piper! Phoebe! Paige! Prue's water broke!"  
he yelled waiting for answers...

**--------------------**

**AN:  
**I'm soooooooooooooo sorry for sending you waiting sooo long. I actually didn#t want to do the birth already... so I thought ever since teh alst chapter about what to do. But as I already saw u guys don#t like tehm fighting and I don't like it neither... I spared more fighting and mood changes... and skipped right to the act... this will take looong though... as i plan on not just letting the baby get out within a few hours... but there'll be a great surprise at the end...


	6. Delivery

_**Different Paths Part 6:**  
_**Delivery  
**

**--------------------**

**_13 hours after the water broke (1pm):  
_**Prue lay on her bed again. Andy held her hand, which was just right now squeezed down to an inch. Piper entered the bedroom with a tray of food  
"Pheebs... you go downstairs... I take over"  
"yeah... okay"  
phoebe said getting up  
"how far?"  
"Contractions are coming every 30 minutes and she's still only 1 cm dilated."  
"Okay..."   
Piper said nodding and went over to Andy and Prue, just as Prue's contraction was through.  
"I'm glad I'm already dead... so my hand can't break that much"  
Prue glared at him  
"you wanna try a contraction? Then we can continue to talk!"  
Prue snapped at him  
"Umm... Andy... how about you go downstairs as well... take a little break... eat something... close your eyes a little..."  
Piper said, knowing they'd kill each other soon. Andy looked back at Prue  
"go... it's okay... I'd go as well... if I could"  
she said smiling  
"it'll anyway still take a while"  
Piper told him. Andy hesitated before nodding, then kissed Prue, her stomach and then Prue again  
"go"   
Prue said more or less pulling away. Andy pecked her one more time before disappearing into the hall and closing the door after him   
"thank you"  
Prue told piper smiling  
"it's okay... you guys need a bit of break... and sleep... and time for you alone..."  
"Yeah... well sleep... nice try..."  
Prue said leaning back on the bed...  
"I know... sorry... oookay... now c'mon... sit up... you need to eat..."  
"I don't know if I can..."  
"Hey! You need all the strength you can get... and when sleep is already out of order... you at least have to eat"   
Prue smiled a little  
"I'm glad I have at least one of my mother's here"  
Prue told her smiling...

**_20 hours after the water broke (8pm):  
_**"You guys should lie a bit down... I can manage screaming for one or two hours on my own"   
Prue said... as Phoebe and Paige lay on the sofa and Piper and Andy sat one ach side of her...  
"Yeah... so you can get to the hospital in the meantime, huh? You kidding, right?"  
Prue sighted and looked down  
"you know I really appreciate what you guys are doing... but... you are no doctor... who can see if something happens to the baby... you have no possibility to check on her... this is already going..."  
Prue looked at her alarm clock   
"... 20 hours. There ahs to be something wrong...and a c-section you guys can't perform neither... and this pain... is slowly killing me... I'd really appreciate some doctor giving me a LOT of pain killers"  
"we're not going anywhere"   
phoebe said  
"yeah... we can't risk exposure"  
"the hell, Paige... can't you the hell understand I want the best for my baby... you don't know how it feels to become a mother... and to have the possibility of loosing it at the very last point!!"  
she told them... and then shrugged together as another contraction hit her. Piper and Andy where automatically at her side. Andy held her hand and Piper just sat next to her  
"Prue... not pushing... breathing... you need to breath through the pain..."  
Piper told her. Prue tried her best not to scream but just breathe during the hell of pain she was in. Finally she leaned back on the bed again. Relaxing slightly  
"Oookay... you two... go to sleep"  
Piper told Phoebe and Paige... you'll take it from 12 onwards again..."   
Piper added. The two sighted, but knew, it'd still last a while... so they sighted and got up. They kissed Prue's temple and then Phoebe leaned down to tell her niece  
"you don't come out of there till we're back, you heard me?"  
"Could you stop influencing my daughter and keeping me probably longer awake than it has to be?"  
Prue asked annoyed. Phoebe just wanted to open her mouth again as Piper stepped in  
"we will wake you guys when we're ready... now go"  
she added...

**_24 hours after the water broke (0am):  
_**"Okay... I go wake Paige and Phoebe... and go to sleep for a while now as well"  
Piper told Prue, who nodded. Andy was barely awake lying on Prue's side... though he kept waking up with the contractions.  
"How far am I?"  
Prue asked  
"3cm... and contractions... 15 minutes..."  
Prue closed her eyes at the facts  
"heeey... you'll make that... if anyone can... you do..."  
Piper said smiling and pecked her forehead gently...  
"Piper's right"   
Andy told her and kissed her gently...  
"If at least you guys think so..."  
Prue said lowly  
"we do..."  
Andy added and kissed her again

**_28 hours after the water broke (4am):  
_**Piper entered the bedroom again  
"hey... how far are we?"  
she asked sleepy   
"not far enough"  
Prue murmured... her mood was getting worse and worse. But who could mind her? The others at least took sometimes a few hours sleep or got some coffee or went to take a walk. Prue couldn't. And she was more than exhausted. Piper ignored her and looked at Phoebe  
"we're getting closer... 5 minutes for contractions and 4 dilated"  
"we're nowhere... I am and the baby is as well... but none of you is..."  
Prue commented   
"hey... that's good... only one more cm"  
Piper cheered, ignoring her sister's comment  
"Yeah... great"  
Prue said and was hit by another contraction. Andy just sat by her side, held her hand and told her she was doing great. Piper still stood next to the bed and looked over at her sisters, which were again laying/sitting in a nearby chair  
"you two can get a cup of coffee... we can handle this for an hour alone..."  
"But you call us..."  
"Yes..."  
Piper answered and then saw Andy   
"you should go lay down a bit as well"  
"no... I'm not going anywhere anymore"  
Andy said, as Prue relaxed again  
"yes you are"  
"what?"  
"You need to get your mom... I... I need at least someone... who did this already here... please..."   
"But..."  
"No... Go... I'm okay..."  
"But... what about the contractions?"  
"I can make 1 or 2 alone... and piper's there... you just hurry, okay?"  
Andy looked at her worried.  
"I love you"  
"yeah... I love you too"  
Prue told him Andy leaned down and kissed/pecked her a few more times, then looked back at Prue...  
"Go"  
"no... The next contraction will be there in like... now"  
he said and Prue, like on signal, cramped up.  
"Hey... shshs... relax... no cramping up, okay? Just breathe calmly..."  
Andy said gently, as he slid a wet cloth over her sweating forehead. Piper just slowly sat down and watched the couple. She felt really sorry for Andy. He was exhausted too, but she probably wouldn't want to leave Prue's side in his position neither. Prue completely 'relaxed' again  
"go"   
Prue told him. Andy nodded, kissed her once more and then orbed out.  
"You're not mad... right?"  
"Why should I be?"   
"cause I want Julia here?"  
"Hey... we forbid you hospital... I understand you at least want someone there who knows what you're going through"

**_28 ½ hours after the water broke (4.30am):  
_**Andy had orbed downstairs, as he had his dad along as well. Julia told him to stay down with the others and have at least a cup of coffee, while she hurried upstairs. She went to their bedroom and knocked  
"no need for that! Everyone saw my vagina already anyway, remember!"   
Prue's answer came. Julia smiled slightly and entered.  
"I think I didn't yet"  
she told her. Prue smiled slightly and started crying what actually surprised Piper  
"heey... what's wrong?"  
Julia asked worried, and sat down where Andy sat before. Prue leaned into her  
"I don't know if I can do that... I can't... anymore... I'm exhausted... I don't have the slightest power anymore..."  
Prue cried into her  
"hey... hey... shshshs... it's okay"  
Julia said and hugged her tight back. Piper realized what was going on. Prue all this time stayed strong cause of Andy. He seemed the weaker part in all of this anyway. She stayed strong for him and them. So they wouldn't start panicking. Though now Piper was freaking. But Julia was now there... there now was someone to handle and organize everything...   
"Oookay... listen... your mom did this... I did this... your grandma did this... so you can do it as well, okay? You're the strongest woman I know. You're okay... you'll be okay. I promise"   
"but what if something's wrong with her?"  
Prue cried and then shrugged together.

**_30 hours after the water broke (6am):  
_**Prue's contractions were coming now straight, one after the other. She was 5 cm dilated. It was time to give birth. Julia now sat behind Prue. Andy one Prue's left side, holding her hand and Piper on the other, doing the same. Phoebe and Paige were at the bottom of Prue and would acre for the baby and also deliver it.  
"Okay Prue... close your eyes and relax a bit and now... don't panic, okay... but next contraction... you push, okay?"  
Prue nodded slightly...  
"Andy, Piper... you hold her hand with one hand and with the other hold her feet, so she won't close them and make it more difficult for the baby to come out... Phoebe, Paige... you two tell us what's going on down there... okay?"  
everyone else nodded and Andy kissed Prue once again...  
"Countdown to parenthood is going"  
he said smiling. Prue smiled back and pecked him once again, before letting out an ear breaking scream and sitting up, pressing as much as she could. Then slowly fell back on Julia  
"the hair! I saw hair! She has got black hair!"  
Phoebe said thrilled. Julia smiled a little  
"u are doing perfect, sweetie"  
Julia told her and removed the sweat from her face once again.  
"She ahs your hair"   
Andy told her smiling and pecked her again, before the next contraction was coming and she again pressed  
"ooh... there's the head... it's coming..."  
Julia saw, Prue wanted to leave it but knew the head wasn't delivered fully yet so she just looked down at Prue  
"keep on... keep on... c'mon... as soon as the head is out... the rest will be really easy... now just keep pressing... we need the head, okay? Then you are out of it... I promise..."  
she told her. Julia looked up and at Phoebe and Paige, who nodded, as in the head is there...  
"Okay... relax"   
Julia told Prue, who fell hard breathing back onto Julia...   
"Okay... now one of you two grabs inside and slightly pull on the head at the next contraction to make it easier for Prue."   
Phoebe and Paige looked at each other  
"I... okay... I do it"  
Phoebe said  
"okay... Paige then you get a blanket to wrap around her when Phoebe has the baby fully out..."  
Paige nodded  
"okay... now one more push and the shoulders will be there... then one more push and Phoebe can pull her out completely... so don't worry... it's as good as ready... you ready now?"  
Prue nodded slightly and Julia looked at Phoebe who nodded as well then Prue sat up slightly again and squeezed Andy's and Piper's hands again, screaming her last energy out of her. Phoebe gently pulled on the head and then the shoulders were there as well. Prue rested her head back on Julia's chest  
"one more"  
Julia told her. Andy kissing her once again. The next contraction came and Phoebe again pulled and Prue again pushed and the baby lay on the bed.   
"It's there"  
Phoebe said smiling as she picked the little baby girl up. Andy first smiled but then noticed, his daughter wasn't crying  
"mom..."  
"Phoebe... hold her by her feet... and then give her a clap on the back."  
Phoebe looked panicking at Julia. Piper pulled away from Prue and took a hold of her niece, just like Julia said and gave her a little slap  
"harder"   
Julia commanded. Piper nodded and hit harder, finally a scream escaped the baby's mouth and Andy smiled, looking down at Prue and kissed her deeply. Piper just wanted to cradle the baby in her arms as suddenly a purple shimmer appeared and the baby disappeared into nothingness.


	7. The shock

_**Different Paths Part 7:**  
_**The shock  
**

**--------------------**

Prue and Andy pulled apart as they noticed the purple light, which filled the room. Prue was as good as sure, that this had to be some of the baby's powers. They looked up and the purple glow disappeared, leaving Piper's empty arms. Prue starred at Piper's arms as tears automatically shot to her eyes...  
"A... Andy... w... where is she? Wha... what happened?"  
she asked as she started to hyperventilate. Andy didn't answer. He too was shocked starring at Piper's arms. He shook his head slightly, not believing his eyes. He heard Prue's hyperventilating, but couldn't move. Julia instead took over and caressed Prue's cheek  
"Prue... it's okay... calm down... everything will be okay"  
Julia tried to calm her down but Prue wouldn't and seconds later, Prue was fallen unconscious from not being able to breathe normally. Julia laid her probably down on the bed and looked up at the others  
"Andy... what just happened?"  
Piper asked. Andy didn't answer. He had no answer. He looked down at Prue. The pure expression of pain in his face.  
"Andy!?!"  
Piper yelped and finally Andy looked up at her and shook his head  
"I... I... don't know"  
he whispered, his voice barely audible as he was trying not to start crying as well. the other's already were. Except Piper. Julia went over to her son and pulled him into a tight hug. She didn't understand what was going on, but she did understand and feel her son's pain. Piper looked at Prue. She looked so pale. Her face was soaking wet from the sweat and tears. She was completely broken. Broken from 30 hours of labour and now, finally the moment of happiness and joy should appear and there was nothing. She never got to touch the prize for all the pain, exhaustion and sorrow she had suffered the past hours... days… months. A few tears finally spilled form her eyes as well  
"Leo..."  
she said lowly   
"Leo!!!"  
she yelled, as no respond came, hoping her husband had an explanation for this crap. Leo appeared in the room, smiling as he was sure the baby was there by now and his buddy Andy, a proud father, holding a newborn little bundle of joy. But there was nothing like that. He looked around at the shocked faces. Then Prue's flat stomach  
"wha... what happened? Where's the baby?"  
"We hoped you had the answer"  
Phoebe said in a low whisper as Piper's eyes again fell to Prue. She sat down on the bed and just held her sister's hand. She had been jealous the past 8 months, but that she really didn't want to happen to her big sister. She didn't want this to happen to anyone. Especially not to her beloved big sister. She'd need her now. Just like she had needed Prue all the last months, when Prue held her, while she cried cause Leo and her weren't the parents. Prue every single time was there to hold her. No one else. This was nothing like fair. Prue had deserved this. She was going through so much in this pregnancy... and now everything was lost. The past 8 months destroyed. But suddenly, there again appeared the same purplish light and all three conscious sisters inclusive Leo looked up. A little girl was standing in pretty much the centre of the room. She was about 3 years old. She had black, slightly curled hair and piercing blue eyes. She was dressed in a jeans skirt and a baby pink top. The little girl was helplessly holding a little baby, a new born, wrapped in a baby pink blanket, which matched the top of the little girl. Everyone watching them, could tell the girl ahd difficulties holding the little baby. Piper knew the eyes of the little girl form somewhere. She knew the baby from somewhere. She looked down at Prue again and then back up to the little girl who was looking shyly and scared around. She was kind of searching something. Someone. But she didn't seem to find him or her. Piper looked over at Andy. Was it him she searched? She could impossibly find Andy... he was completely disappearing in his mother's arms, just like a little boy. Phoebe and Paige looked at the girl as well. But for other reasons than Piper did. They were sure as hell, that the baby was their niece and the little girl a demon, who kidnapped the little girl and now wanted to get whatever she wanted.  
"who are you? What do you want?"  
Phoebe finally dared to ask in a snapping voice. The girl looked even more scared as her eyes started to get smaller. And tears spilling form her eyes. She was definitely scared and completely unsure of what to do, as she still searched for someone to help her. Piper once again looked into those eyes. Those blue, shining, sparkling and piercing eyes and then again looked down. She looked at Prue's face and her eyes wandered automatically to her sister's closed eyes. She saw her sister's eyes on her closed eyelids. And then there were the girl's eyes. They were exactly the same. The little girl had the same eyes. It were Prue's eyes. As Andy heard Phoebe speaking he looked up to see what's going on and found the little girl and the baby in her arms. His heart skipped a beat at the sight. Tears were burning in the little girl's eyes and also flowing now freely down her cheeks as, she looked down to the floor. Andy froze  
'this can't be... this is impossible...'  
Andy thought and got up and walked slowly over to the side of the bed, the little girl was standing at. he looked her over again and then knelt down  
"Meghan?!?"


	8. We're parents

_**Different Paths Part 8:**  
_**We're parents  
**

**--------------------**

"Meghan!?!"   
The little girl would recognize that voice everywhere. She looked up and saw Andy. Meghan's face lit a bit and she let the baby fall just to run to her father  
"dadi!"  
she yelled burring herself in Andy's arms.

In the meantime, the baby never hit the floor as once again the purple light appeared and the baby reappeared in Piper's arms. She started to scream right away, from Meghan's scream. Piper smiled at the baby and started to cradle her in her arms.  
"Shshshsh, it's okay"  
Piper told the little girl gently, who calmed down a bit, from knowing the voice of the womb.

Andy smiled slightly, as he felt Meghan after months in his arms again. He held her tightly for a few minutes. She had been his special charge and ever since he gave up on her and promised Prue to not go anywhere anymore, he missed Meghan. After all Meghan and him were together every single second of the past year. And coming back to earth, was like loosing her a second time. Finally he picked her up, stood up and crawled his daughter's back  
"shshs, it's okay baby"   
he whispered gently into her ear.

Paige and Phoebe had watched the past few minutes on how Andy cared for the girl, they supposed was a demon, but now had to realize, she wasn't. Paige leaned over to Phoebe and whispered  
"isn't Meghan the name of the baby, Prue lost?"  
she asked in a whisper. Phoebe just nodded, but starred at the little girl and like Piper did already before, she found the similarities to their big sister. Her face was looking completely like Andy's except those blue eyes and the long, black, curled hair.

Andy finally pulled away a bit from Meghan and looked at her face and then reached with one hand up to her tears streamed face  
"hey... shshs"  
he said gently and pushed her tears away  
"Meghan... honey... I need you to explain me something. Okay?"  
Meghan nodded and tried to go back to crying into Andy's chest but Andy kept her from it  
"what are you doing here, sweetie?"  
"Te... te eldews said... me take te baby and bwin her to you and momi. And ten tey sai, me no have to go bak and tat I could live wif you and momi and wif mi sistew now."  
Meghan told him. Andy's smile grew bigger and he kissed her forehead  
"I love you"  
he said as Meghan's arms again wrapped around her father's neck. Andy kissed her head a few more times before pulling her a bit away again.  
"You know everybody?"  
Andy asked. Meghan nodded slightly  
"tat's gwanma! But gwanma eawt... not gwanma heaven"   
"uh hum"  
Andy said smiling as he and Meghan looked over at his mother. Then Meghan looked at Piper.  
"Tat aunti Piper"   
she said and then turned around and looked at Phoebe and Paige   
"and tat aunti Phoebe and aunti Paige"  
she explained her dad. Finally she looked at Leo as well  
"Uncle Leo!!"  
she cheered. Leo smiled back  
"hey pumpkin"  
he said smiling and ruffled the little girls hair a bit. Finally Meghan looked more around the room and finally found the small figure of her mom under the covers on the bed  
"and tat's momi"  
Andy smiled a little and nodded  
"wat's wong with momi?"  
Meghan asked   
"she's just really, really tired..."  
Andy explained   
"now... how about you go with grandma, Uncle Leo and your aunts downstairs?"  
"I wana stai wif you"  
Meghan told him and again wrapped his arms around his neck  
"Meghan... honey... I gotta stay here and wait for mommy to wake up again... and then I have to explain everything to her... so c'mon... you just tell grandma what stories grandma heaven told you, huh?"  
Meghan shook her head and held tighter onto Andy. Leo went up to Andy and Meghan  
"heeey... c'mon... we always had fun... and Auntie Piper' and the others are fun too... remember what I told you about Auntie Piper?"  
Meghan nodded  
"tat she like kids weali much"  
Meghan answered. Leo smiled and nodded  
"see... now c'mon"  
Meghan again shook her head  
"why won't you go, princess?"  
"Cause aunti Phoebe and aunti Paige where meani... tei think me demon"  
Andy smiled a little  
"they just didn't know what to think, princess"  
"aunti pipew new"   
she told her dad  
"then you just stay with grandma, aunt piper and uncle Leo... and when you think you can forgive aunt Phoebe and Paige... then you play with them, too, okay?"  
"Do me weally hav to go?"  
she asked looking at Andy, who nodded a bit.   
"Mommy and I will be downstairs soon, as well. I promise."   
Meghan nodded and again the purple light appeared and she reappeared in Julia's arms  
"gwanma heaven told I about you"   
"really? What did she say?"  
Julia asked smiling. As everyone started to leave the room. Leo wrapped his arm around Piper and led her and the newborn downstairs as well. Andy again sat down on the bed and grabbed Prue's hand  
"you gotta wake, honey... we're parents... parents of two wonderful little girls."  
He told her and kissed her hand, then grabbed for a cloth and cleaned her face.

**--------------------**

**Small explanations:**

The purple light really was and is a power of the baby (you'll get the name in one of the next chapters ;)) and Meghan. It's a mix between orbing and astral projection. It's purple because astral projection is red and orbing blue. Red and blue is purple. And it's quite a good colour for little girls ;)  
Meghan has orbing cause she once was dead as well. And that is a little gift of the elders. Astral projection was in my opinion, always in Prue's blood. So Meghan inherited it from her mother.  
The other powers of them are, naturally telekinesis and telempathic. What's again a mix between Andy's sensing power and Prue's telekinesis. Telempathy is the ability to move feelings, thoughts, pictures etc from one mind to another. Las but not least Prue's kids will have the control of elements. What means that Meghan has the ability of pyrokinesis, what's shooting fire from her hands. The baby has the ability of aquakinesis, what is pretty much the same as Meghan's power just with water.

And last but not least: why is Meghan 3 and not 9? Why did I write one year instead of 3 years, in which Andy was dead?? Well, easy answer! We all know time is passing faster 'up there' and so 3 years on earth are equal with one year 'up there'

Last but not least: Meghan is three and so she still has some problems with speaking... so don't worry about 'me' and 'I' mistakes oooor the 'th' whether being 't' or 'f'. Also the things like 'why' or 'ie' she can't really pronounce yet, so it's just 'i' for now. Oh and... Forgot... the 'r' is 'w'


	9. My big girl

_**Different Paths Part 9:**  
_**My big girl  
**

**--------------------**

Prue after an hour finally started to get around, slowly he opened her eyes and the bright sun, which shone through the window, hit her and she closed her eyes again. Her hand moved a bit and she then felt her flatter stomach. She too felt someone holding her hand. She suddenly remembered what happened before she 'fell asleep' she shot up in bed and looked around  
"hey... shshs..."  
Andy said and grabbed her shoulders and gently pushed her down  
"whe... where's she?"  
"Everything's okay... don't worry"  
Andy told her and stroke her head  
"then why are you trying to calm me down?"  
"Cause I have a huge surprise for you..."  
"I don't want surprises... I want that goofy grin to disappear from your face and you handing me our healthy daughter..."  
Prue said, as calmly as she could "we first have to talk..."  
"Andy!"   
"No wait... I need to explain to you... why Brianna was lost for a few minutes before... it's important..."  
he told her Prue just looked at him and waited  
"oookay... umm... you remember when Brianna disappeared, right? Then you fell unconscious and several minutes afterwards someone brought her back"  
"someone? Could you speak more clearly... please...?"  
"Meghan..."   
"Meghan what?"  
"Meg brought Ann back..."  
"We... we're not talking about the same Meghan, are we?"  
Prue asked, as tears again sprung to her eyes  
"I missed her... everyone saw my dead daughter except me..."  
Prue cried  
"heeey... wait..."  
Andy said and stroke her tears away  
"wait with those..."  
he said gently  
"Andy... I missed my daughter..."  
"No you didn't"  
"what? She's still here?"  
"She's here..."  
"Then... wha... what are we waiting for..."  
Prue said, tears again streaming down her face as she wanted to get up again  
"waaaait"  
"Andy!"   
"Wait"  
Andy said and pushed her back down on the bed   
"she'll be gone if I wait more..."  
"No, she won't..."   
"Wha... what do you mean... stop playing with me!"  
"I'm not playing with you... but... Meghan won't leave anymore... she's alive... a present to Ann's birth from 'them'"  
Prue starred at him  
"she was the reason I was gone... my special charge..."  
Prue didn't react for several minutes. It was all much to comprehend and so she just tried to handle this before answering.  
"Where are our kids?"  
she finally asked. Andy didn't answer but instead wrapped a blanket more around Prue and then carried her downstairs. Prue looked around the room and then saw the two kids in the room. She ignored Brianna for now and looked directly at Meghan. She looked at Andy and nodded, so he'd let her go. She was slightly shaking and her legs felt like jelly. She made her way over to the little girl who slept on the couch. She crouched down in front of her and just starred at her for several minutes. Her face looked completely like Andy's. Prue reached up but then shrugged away. This was impossible her daughter. Everything around them was silent. It was like it were only Meghan and Prue. Slowly Prue made her way down to her face to stroke a lock away. She was completely afraid, that her hand would fade through her skin. Finally Prue touched her skin and she indeed could feel it. Tears of joy, flew down Prue's face a she placed the lock of her long raven hair behind her daughter's ear, what woke Meghan up. She opened her eyes and both Prue and Meghan looked into deep blue eyes. It was like looking into a mirror.  
"Momi!"  
Meghan said as a smile grew on her face and she hugged her mother for the very first time... Prue just sat there, frozen and then slowly moved her arms around the little girl. She started to realize this wasn't a dream, but reality. Prue wrapped her arms around her and started to stroke Meghan's back  
"my big girl"  
she whispered and just sat down herself, pulling Meghan onto her lap, hugging her tight

Piper went up to Andy and handed him Brianna  
"you should go downstairs. Have a little time alone."  
Andy nodded and cradled the baby in his arms, then went over to his wife and oldest daughter and put a hand on Prue's shoulder, orbing upstairs.


	10. Dark clouds in heaven

_**Different Paths Part 10:**  
_**Dark clouds in heaven**

**--------------------**

Prue, Andy, Meghan and Brianna all were sleeping in the 1.50 meter bride bed. Prue lay on her back. Brianna lay on top of Prue. Her stomach resting on her mother's chest. Meghan was cuddled into Prue's side. Andy laid the same direction like Meghan and also on his side. One of his arms was lying across Meghan's waist and his hand found rest and peace on Brianna's back. Andy's other arm, was supporting his head a little and his hand was outstretched and held Prue's hand, whose arm was outstretched and laying over Meghan's head... it was all a big chaos combined with a lot of love and closeness. Body parts were everywhere and if they all were the same sex and size, you wouldn't have been able to tell what belonged to whom.

A demon, Snookum, shimmered into the bedroom, interrupting the quite and peaceful atmosphere. He watched the family for several minutes   
"how cute"  
he said lowly and in an ironical way.  
"Remon"   
he said calmly and another demon, this time blinked, in. while Snookum was tall and muscular and looking kinda intelligent, Remon was a tiny demon. He was only the length of the bed and really ugly.   
"The girl"  
Snookum told Remon. Remon looked at Meghan for several minutes and then transformed into the little girl. Snookum smirked comfortably.  
"Evanesce"  
he said in a confident voice, as he held a hand over Meghan's body and the little girl vanished into nothing but thin air. He then held his hands out and looked down at them  
"Redeo"  
he commanded and Meghan reappeared in his arms. The little girl automatically woke, feeling the cold, hard and sharp surrounding of the demons talons and his skin. Snookum covered her mouth with his claws, so she couldn't scream and then looked down at her  
"Lethargus"  
he ordered and Meghan's resist loosened. She fell back in his arms. Lifeless. Her breath was going slower than normal, just like her heartbeat as she fell into a coma-alike state, which was caused by the spell the demon put on her. With another wave of his hand, he sent remon out of the door and then disappeared with Meghan in his arms. 'Meghan' entered the room and closed it behind her. Andy woke by the sound of the door and sat slightly up, to scan the room  
"megs?"  
he asked in a sleepy voice  
"uh hum"  
'Meghan' answered and went up to the bed  
"did you find the bathroom, princess?"   
'Meghan' nodded. Andy smiled slightly and picked her up, just to place her back on the same spot, the real Meghan had been laying before. He started to crawl her hair and face gently till she fell asleep. Andy looked over and Prue and then leaned over Meghan and Brianna to kiss his wife's forehead. He lay back down and placed his hands where they were before and then looked at his small daughter, laying on top of Prue. He smiled slightly. She didn't wake once this night. It was obvious both, Prue and Anna, where still very exhausted from the long and hard birth.

**--------------------**

**AN:**

Small explanations...

**_lethargus:_** drowsiness, apathy, sleepiness, coma.  
**_redeo:_** to go back, come back, return /(revenue) to come in.  
**_evanesco:_** (evanui) to vanish, disappear / pass away.

**_Nicknames of Brianna:_** Ann, Anna, baby girl  
**_Nicknames of Meghan:_** Megs (spoken Maxs), Meg, Maggie, princess


	11. A wonderful morning

_**Different Paths Part 11:**  
_**A wonderful morning  
**

**-**

Prue woke the next morning with the warm and light sun hitting her face. She smiled a little and wanted to turn around... to snuggle into the girls or Andy again, but there was nothing to feel... she stretched her arms out and tried to search the kids and her husband with her hands... but there again was nothing. Her eyes automatically shrieked open and Prue herself up. She flinched together in pain... as her sore stomach was still hurting pretty extreme. Piper was right at her side and pushed the weak body of her sister back down on the bed. She never made it into a sitting position. Before Prue could ask something, Piper already had read her thoughts and smiled a little at her  
"its okay... they're downstairs... Phoebe feeds your little one with the bottle and Andy makes breakfast while Meghan is... pretty exhausting... and hard to handle... Paige tries to get her under control."  
Prue sighted in relief.  
"Is Ann okay?"  
"Who's Ann?"  
"Brianna..."  
"Brianna?"   
"Andy didn't tell you, we called the baby Brianna?"  
"no he didn't want to spill without you and yesterday you people just disappeared after picking the kids"  
"sorry"  
"it's okay"  
some silent minutes fell over the women, till piper found her speech back  
"so Brianna, huh?"  
"Yeah... Melinda's daughter Pruedence... had also a daughter called like that... and... I actually like Ann or Anna for short"  
Prue answered smiling a little as again silence fell, what Prue found pretty odd  
"sooo... why are you up here? I... mean... not even Andy's"

"Andy took the girls downstairs, so they wouldn't wake you; we all know how exhausted you were yesterday..."  
"That still doesn't answer my question"  
"I... offered to watch you... cause... I... gotta talk to you... alone..."  
"You... do..."  
"Yes... you know... how... I wanted a baby, right?"  
"Yeah..."   
"Well... I was yesterday morning at the doctor's"  
"what? When?"  
"I didn't say anything to anyone... cause I didn't want to disappoint anyone... and so your labour came right in time"   
she smiled shyly. Prue studied her sister's face. Seeing something had changed  
"oh my god... you are pregnant!"  
on Piper's face appeared a small smile as she nodded a little  
"oh my god! That's... great! That's... amazing!"  
Prue said... and grabbed piper's hand, pulling her down, not wanting to experience the pain she felt before again... she pulled her into her arms and hugged her tight  
"you... you need to help me through this, okay?"  
"You don't need me... you're the better mommy anyway... you gotta help me here"  
Prue said... smirking... as she felt hot tears burning down her sister's face  
"we'll just help each other, okay?"  
piper asked... with a shaky voice... and tears of joy. Prue simply nodded and then pulled away... pulling Piper's tears away with her thumb  
"so... what did Leo say?"  
"He doesn't know yet..."  
piper said smiling slightly  
"u... told me first?"  
"Yeah... I knew even before you... so I thought..."  
Prue smiled a little  
"I love you"  
"I love you too, Prue"  
"okay... umm... now... how do we get me downstairs"  
"well... I can get Andy..."  
Prue smiled a little  
"that'd be great..."   
she said smiling gracefully

**-**

**AN:  
**I know... very cheese... very easy to make piepr just like that pregnant... but I also never let any doc say she couldn#t get pregnant... she just cried... cause she wa sjelous on Prue...very bad come back... but... at least it's something... I gues...


	12. Goodbye to you

_**Different Paths Part 12:**  
_**Goodbye to you  
**

**-**

Prue still was upstairs, waiting for Andy to pick her. The door opened and she looked up, expecting to see her husband, instead Julia came in  
"Sorry to disappoint you..."  
Julia said smiling  
"You are not."  
Julia smiled and pecked her  
"You have two amazing daughters, you know?"  
Prue smiled a little more  
"I just wished you were living closer ... I'll need your help in this here"  
"Yeah... just wait till you handled them for a while... they seem to be pretty active... both"  
Prue let out a laugh   
"Why thank you"  
"I'm up here to say bye"  
"No... Please... stay some more... I'm helpless in this... I... don't know how to handle all of this"  
Julia smiled  
"You'll have to learn to..."  
"You could teach me..."  
"Prue... there's still the telephone... and... There's also Andy how can get us anytime... I mean... I really need to get used to that orbing"   
she said letting a laugh out  
"Please stay some more"  
"We can't..."  
"Then move back to San Francisco..."  
Julia smiled  
"We can't"  
"I don't know where to start all of this, Julia"  
"I know you don't know it... but you'll find your way. Just keep two things in mind... first and most important of all: Andy loves you and you love him. And second... no matter what they do... or what they say... they don't know it better... so don't be mad at them too long. Instead forget about it and give them a gentle hug and everything will be okay again. Never forget those two, okay?"  
Prue nodded  
"I'd love to... sit now up and hug you... but... I guess the pain will eat me up then"  
Prue said as tears came to Prue's eyes. Julia smiled a little and leaned down hugging Prue  
"Heeey... shshshsh... it's alright... just a call or an orb or and e-mail away..."  
she said stroking Prue's hair.  
"I love you Julia..."  
"I love you, too"  
she told Prue and pecked her cheek, just as the door cracked open again and Richard and Andy entered. Julia pulled away and looked up at them... then back down at Prue... pushing her tears aside, and then getting up. Richard smiled a little and went over to the bed, hugging Prue as well  
"Congratulations, honey"   
"Thank you Richard"  
she said smiling slightly. The sadness over them leaving already was too big  
"Don't you two want to stay at least till dad was here as well..."  
"Prue..."   
Julia said  
"I know... you can't"  
Prue said smiling bravely. Richard got up as well  
"Bye"  
Prue said before Andy orbed out with them, bringing them back home.


	13. Doubts

_**Different Paths Part 13:**  
_**Doubts  
**

**-**

Andy orbed several minutes later back in and smiled at his wife   
"hey"  
"hey"  
Andy leaned down and kissed her for several minutes before pulling away  
"how are ya?"  
"tired... tired but happy"  
Andy forced a smile. Prue raised an eyebrow at him  
"what?"  
"nothing..."  
he told her and kissed her again...  
"your mom said, the girls are pretty active already..."  
"yeah... megs' powering Paige out and Phoebe tries to stop Ann from crying"  
Andy told her, again with a forced smile. Prue's smile first grew but then saw in his face there was something wrong  
"what?"  
she asked worried   
"no..."  
"don't you dare finishing that word now! What's wrong?"  
"Prue..."  
"Andy, I don't need your protection, so spill it!"  
Andy looked down. Prue sighted slightly and grabbed his hands, crawling them  
"whatever it is... you can tell me..."  
"I know... it's just... I'm afraid this will be too much for you, if I'm right..."  
"right with what?"  
"I... umm... think... you know... that... Meghan's not Meghan..."  
"what?"  
Prue asked looking confused  
"Andy... you told me last night... that was our daughter"  
"she was..."  
Andy answered and saw Prue's even more confused look  
"the... girl last night was Meghan... the girl downstairs' not..."  
"so what you say is?"  
"that somehow someone replaced or possessed her"  
Prue let out a laugh   
"you try kidding me now, right?"  
"no..."  
Andy answered seriously  
"Andy... how and when? We slept all together... it was impossible to take someone away from us without us wakening"  
"well... we were exhausted... and I woke last night once... and saw Meghan returning from the toilette... maybe that's how it happened"  
"Andy... this is... nonsense... it's only natural people go from time to toilette... and... How do you come to such... stuff anyway?"  
"I... Prue I lived with Meghan for the past year... I watched her first step and words and whatever else... I know our daughter... I know every word which came out of her mouth so far... and I know that some of the words she used today already would never come form or daughter... she... behaves weird... and... She's so wild... Meghan's more the silent, shy kind of kid... yesterday she not even wanted to be with anyone else but me and Leo in one room and today she goes on her won playing with Paige... that's not like her"  
"well... Andy, honey... she's her aunt..."  
"I know... but... I also know there's something very wrong..."  
"look... umm... let's just... wait till tonight... maybe... you suspect something wrong"  
Andy looked away  
"Andy... please... I promise... if you are tonight still sure about this... then I... will do whatever necessary to prove if she's really our daughter and if not, where real Meghan is, okay?"   
"yeah... okay..."  
Prue smiled and pulled him down... kissing him a few times...  
"I love you"  
Andy smiled a little as well  
"you too"  
he told her and kissed her back   
"now... get me downstairs... I'm hungry"


	14. Two Meghans

_**Different Paths Part 14:**  
_**Two Meghan's  
**

**-**

As they neared the kitchen Prue could hear a baby crying and her smile grew, knowing it was coming from her youngest daughter. Phoebe looked up when she heard someone entering and smiled  
"looky... mommy... now she can get you silent... and I'm out of it"  
she said smirking and went up to the chair, Andy placed Prue on and then placed the little girl in Prue's arms. Prue smiled  
"heey..."   
she said smiling as the little girl calmed immediately down. Ann yawned a little by hearing the all too familiar heartbeat and the voice of her mom but kept on whining...  
"Hey... what's wrong, huh? You telling me how bad Auntie Phoebe and Uncle Cole were?"   
she asked smiling, as she let the little girl suck on her finger  
"Seems like someone's hungry, huh?"  
she said and then again looked down again at Ann

"did they not give you anything to eat?"  
"We tried, but she didn't get the system with the bottle"  
Phoebe told her. Prue smiled a little and opened her robe just to lift her shirt so her daughter could eat. Brianna needed a while to finally get that what her mom was offering her was food. Then she started to suck peacefully on her mom's breast, both hands on the breast. Andy smiled while Phoebe jokingly tried to block Cole's view from Prue's breast. Prue looked up and looked at Andy  
"where's Meghan?"  
"In front of the TV"  
Paige answered for Andy, entering the kitchen and letting herself fall onto a chair  
"exhausted?"  
prue asked smirking  
"you play with Meghan for a while and we'll talk again"  
Prue smiled  
"sorry... I'm still used as a milk bar here"  
Paige already opened her mouth to answer as Piper and Leo entered  
"we have news"  
Piper said smiling in a cheery voice, receiving everyone's attention, then looked up at Leo  
"you wanna?"  
Leo nodded and looked up at everyone   
"our family will grow some more"  
"I'm pregnant!"   
Piper told them... everyone went to congratulate them, all except Prue, who still was busy feeding the still youngest Halliwell. Meghan ran into the kitchen as well and Brianna pulled away crying, with no reason.  
"Aunt Paige, Aunt Paige! C'mon... I wanna play more hide and seek! Please!"  
she begged  
"what about TV?"   
"TV's boring... I wanna play!"  
Andy glanced at Prue, who just repeated the look and sighted  
"hey... don't I get a good morning?"  
she asked looking at Meghan while still trying to calm Brianna down  
"morning mom!"  
Meghan said all fast and then looked back up at Paige with a begging face... while Andy glanced at Leo, who looked in a quizzical look back  
"umm... Meghan... let Aunt Paige rest some more... you can play later again... now go back to the living and watch some more TV, okay?"   
Meghan made a face... and then a doggy face back at Paige   
"okay..."  
"No, Paige. I'm her father... and I said no..."  
Andy told Paige. As Andy received weird views from everyone while Meghan stuck out her tongue out at him  
"you're stupid! I hate you!"  
she said and ran out again  
"Andy!"   
Prue snapped as Brianna calmed down again, just as Meghan left. She looked down at the baby in her arms and was confused  
"she feels it too... it's not Meghan!"  
"Wait what?"  
Phoebe asked  
"Andy thinks Meghan is not Meghan..."  
Prue repeated as she directed Ann back to where she could eat... Andy looked at Leo searching for help  
"what? Why are you looking now at me?"   
"Cause you know just as much as I do... that Meghan never behaved this way... she's not the wild kind of child. She always called Prue mommy and not mom... if that child was Meghan... she'd come to Prue and cuddle her... never letting her go again... cause she missed her like hell... my daughter never would use the words that child just did... right, Leo?"  
"I... I don't know Andy..."  
"What?"  
"Well... I know that she's not behaving like 'up there' but... I don't know if that's not normal... she was dead... this here... life is something completely different than what she had so far... so I guess it's just normal she also acts a bit different..."  
"Okay... maybe... but what's with Brianna..."  
"What's with her?"  
piper asked  
"she started crying just as Meghan entered and when she left again she stopped. Isn't that a bit of weird? If it was the whole night same Meghan...t hen why did she start being uneasy since Meghan was supposed to be on the toilette?"  
Andy asked... Prue looked down at Brianna in her arms, which ate peacefully. She didn't believe Andy until now neither, but he had a point. Babies were sensible about such kind of things and if Brianna felt, this wasn't her sister but some stranger; maybe there was some truth in it...   
"do you know something we don't?"  
she asked silently... crawling her youngest daughter's cheek as the baby pulled away and seemed to look at Prue (babies in the first few weeks don't see much... so this is why it seems so ;)) then suddenly they heard a weird sound and they turned around just to find some purple light, just like the day before and suddenly there was a 'sleeping' Meghan floating in the air. Prue looked up starred a few seconds at her older daughter before down at Anna  
"wha..."  
then she looked up again, just to see the light disappear and Meghan starting to fall to the floor... Prue reacted fast and stretched her hand out... just to catch Meghan in her fall  
"Andy..."  
Andy right away started for the child and picked her up from mid air   
"Paige... call for Meghan..."  
"But..."  
"I mean it Paige... Andy's right... it's impossible the all mad Meghan and the sleeping Meghan there are the same..."  
Paige nodded   
"Meghan! Come back to the kitchen... let's play!"  
Prue glanced at Piper, who nodded, understanding what Prue wanted. Seconds alter another version of Meghan ran back in  
"really?"  
she asked excited, then saw the real Meghan laying in Andy's arms   
"damn!"  
she cursed and wanted to disappear, but Piper was faster and froze her  
"I get a robe..."  
Phoebe said...


	15. Dreams are sometimes just like mirrors

_**Different Paths Part 15:**  
_**Dreams are sometimes just like mirrors  
**

Prue, Andy and Leo orbed with the kids to Prue and Andy's bedroom caring for the kids, while Piper, Phoebe and Paige, took the little demon-child to the living, where they chant 'her' to a chair. Prue carefully placed Brianna in her crib, trying to calm her down and get her to sleep while Andy and Leo cared for Meghan. They tried to wake Meghan but there where no results. They now where whispering and Prue turned around, knowing they tried to hide something from her   
"What?"  
She asked looking them straight into the eyes. It was her daughter. She already couldn't care for her the last 'three' years, she at least wanted to now. Andy looked with a concerned face up at Prue  
"What? What's wrong here? Why are you two whispering? Why are you two not simply healing her?"  
Prue asked confused. Andy got up and walked closer to his wife  
"Honey..."   
"Don't you honey me! What!"  
"We can't heal what's wrong with her"  
Prue glanced back at her older daughter  
"No... Don't tell me she's dead... no... Please..."   
Prue begged, looking Andy into his eyes. She was already shaking visibly while tears ran down her cheeks. Andy looked away. He couldn't say it. He couldn't break her heart. He couldn't risk her loosing it right now. Not with a baby in the house as well.  
"Not yet"  
Leo answered for Andy.  
"Wha... what do you mean, Leo?"  
"She's in a coma..."  
"So... just cause she's in a coma... doesn't mean she won't wake up again... people do wake from coma again..."  
"I know Prue, but... the chances that she'll wake are sinking with every day passing... every hour passing. When she was a month unconscious... every doc will tell you... that it's useless to stay hoping..."  
"There... recently where a lot of such cases... and none of the witches woke... again"  
Andy added in a low voice. Prue shook her head violently   
"No! NOO!"  
Prue yelled. She had her daughter for not even an hour. Maybe she held her longer but she didn't talk to her longer... neither she herself nor Meghan were awake any longer. She couldn't loose her little girl again. Not now. She couldn't. Prue was slowly sinking to her feet. She was moving for a wall as she started to slightly move back and forth... back and forth... She was in a shock. She couldn't handle this. Andy wanted to go after Prue but he knew he couldn't comfort her. He felt the same. His heart was ripped into pieces as well. Just as it all seemed to be turning out good it all was crushed into a million pieces, just like a mirror would, if you hit it with a hammer. Slowly he was pulled out of his thoughts by Brianna who was crying as well. She was upset by the strange mood in the room and she was scared. Andy looked once again back at Prue before heading for the crib to pick the small baby. He started to crawl her back  
"Shshshshsh"  
He made, trying to be gentle and caring while he still starred at Prue, who seemed to be completely gone.  
"Shshsh"  
He made again, more to Prue than to their daughter.

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

The scream of Prue and the crying of Brianna were heard downstairs as well. Everyone shrugged together and then narrowed their eyes at the demon again  
"Crystals"  
Paige commanded to build a crystal cage around the demon before the three sisters hurried upstairs. They found a shocking image. A screaming Brianna laying across Andy's chest who tried to calm her down, while seeming to be completely focused on Prue. He was starring at her. Was that even Prue? The normally strong and self-conscious woman sat in a corner. She looked like some crazy person, who was sitting in a rubber cell. Slightly moving forth and back. She was hugging her feet. Her eyes were completely unfocused while tears were freely coming from them. Piper didn't say anything just went over to Andy and took Brianna from him. The baby needed comfort and not a robot  
"Shshshs. Its okay, baby... it's alright"  
she said in a smoothing and calm voice as she kissed the girl a few times. Phoebe as well went over to Andy. She took his hand and squeezed it slightly, trying to give him a little strength. then lead him over to Prue. as soon as Andy approached his crying wife he automatically knelt down and wrapped his arms around her. Paige starred at Leo, who seemed to be the only one able to talk right about now  
"What the hell is wrong?"   
"We gotta take Meghan to the hospital... she's in a coma..."   
Leo said before looking back at Meghan and stroking some hair out of the girl's face. She looked so much more like an angel right now. He closed his eyes tightly and swallowed. He could feel the pain and he didn't even wanna imagine, how it'd be, if it was his child. The child, which was growing inside of Piper's stomach. This just wasn't possible.


	16. Who needs who?

_**Different Paths Part 16:**  
_**Who needs who?  
**

_**A week later:**_

Andy orbed into the hospital room which held Meghan with a million of tubes stuck into the little girl like everywhere. She was permanently scanned: breath, heartbeat, temperature. An IV was set in her arm with some antibiotics. She looked even smaller than she already was anyway. Andy looked down at her and then at the hand with no IV stuck on. It was held by Prue, who had huge rings under her eyes from not sleeping for days.  
"Prue..."  
Andy said lowly. Ever since Meghan was in hospital, Prue refused to leave her side. She just stayed right there, holding Meghan's hand... even if she was asleep. She barely had seen her youngest daughter, who was crying and screaming like permanently, feeling the weird mood and missing her mommy. Prue didn't look up  
"I bumped milk already..."  
she told him. Andy looked down  
"Prue, I need to talk to you"   
"what keeps you from it?"  
she asked lowly...  
"c'mon... we go to the cafeteria..."  
"No..."  
Prue answered numbly   
"Prue... you didn't eat nor sleep for a couple of days now. You need to rest. You need to go home to Ann... She needs you. She's just a week old... and barely saw her mommy... please... she needs you. Let me take the place here..."  
Prue shook her head   
"Prue... Ann needs to be close to you... she needs you more than me... Meghan doesn't even notice who's..."  
"Yes she does!"  
"I know the doctor's say so... but Prue... she can't see you... and she loves me as well... so it's not mattering if I am here or you are... if I read her stories or if you are... if I hold your hand or if you are... Ann needs you now more than Meghan does... Ann's at home and really upset... not getting where her mommy went and crying permanently... she needs you... and you need some rest... you both do!"  
"I can't leave Meghan... everyone... spent more time with her than I did... and the tiny time we had together... we slept... I... can't leave her... I can't..."   
Prue said as her emotions spoiled over and she started to babble as tears spilled from her eyes again... Andy didn't say anything but instead pulled her into his arms, as she still was holding tightly onto Meghan's hand  
"I'll take you home... you feed Ann on your own... and then you and her go together to sleep for a bit... you spend as much time as possible with her while I stay here with Meghan... and as soon as something changes I'll call Leo, who'll get you right away..."  
Prue nodded slightly... knowing it was the best for everyone... Andy sighted and thanked god that Prue finally gave up...  
"Leo!"  
he called softly as he watched Prue peck Meghan's forehead  
"I love you baby"  
she whispered  
"mommy's gonna go home... daddy'll now stay with you... but I'll be back every day... maybe I also can bring your little sister... you like that?"  
Prue asked... but Meghan didn't respond in the slightest way. Leo appeared in the room as well and understood right away. Andy went over to Prue and kissed her gently  
"promise me you'll rest, okay?"  
he asked gently. Prue nodded slightly and pecked him  
"watch her good, okay?"   
it was Andy's turn to nod and then they kissed for the first time this week for real before Andy gently pushed Prue into Leo's arms


	17. Being mommy, again

_**Different Paths Part 17:**  
_**Being mommy, again  
**

Leo reappeared at the manor with Prue and let her go. Prue right away heard the crying of the baby and closed her eyes. She couldn't believe herself. She couldn't believe she had let her other daughter all by herself  
"where's she?"  
Prue asked Leo in a whisper  
"Solar... with Piper..."  
Prue nodded and went off to the solar finding Piper there with the tiny baby in her arms walking up and down. She was trying to calm her down. It nearly ripped her heart apart seeing her baby girl this miserable, and it was her fault. She went silently up to Piper and without a word took Brianna from her  
"shsh... it's okay... mommy's here"  
she whispered and piper just gave her a smile. Prue nodded  
"thank you"  
"I'll make you something to eat... what you want?"   
"Some pasta will do..."  
Prue answered as after nearly a week the manor finally went silent again. Ann had stopped crying and was now just whining, crying lowly while sucking on Prue's little finger, she gave her to suck on while rocking her gently  
"Shshshs... You're okay..."  
Prue whispered while sitting with the baby down on a chair and unwrapped herself, so she could set Anna to eat

Piper in the meantime stood in the kitchen starting to make some spaghetti for her big sis  
"let me do that"  
Leo offered and piper just shook her head  
"no... I wanna do it... aaand I'm might pregnant, but not ill, but thank you, honey..."  
piper answered him and kissed him gently  
"then let me help you..."  
"You can cut some fresh tomatoes. Prue needs the vitamins"  
she told him.

"Goodness... I wished this crying would finally stop!"  
Phoebe complained up in her room as seconds later the crying indeed stopped  
"okay! Freaky!"  
phoebe said getting up and hurrying downstairs, Cole following. Downstairs, in the solar, they found Prue feeding Brianna   
"god be blessed! You are home!"  
Phoebe said and hugged her sister. Prue smiled a little but couldn't hug her back too busy holding Ann and her breast  
"I'll take her over now again... thanks for everything"

Paige entered a bit later as well  
"oh my god! silence! Where's Anna? Someone out with her!"  
she asked in a loud voice, relieved to have this silence and then entered the kitchen "no... Prue's home..."  
Piper answered her with a small smile  
"then Meghan is..."  
Leo shook his head. Paige sighted  
"where's she?"  
"in the solar..."   
Leo answered and Paige nodded going as well to greet her oldest sister

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

A good hour later Prue had eaten and while her sisters changed and played with Ann, Prue took a fast shower and changed clothes. Then picked Ann again and laid down with her on the double sized bed. She looked down at Ann, who was lying on her chest. She stroked her back "your sister is going to be okay, you know?" Prue whispered... trying to calm herself... "We'll go seeing her tomorrow... you like that?" Anna just yawned "was that a yes?" Prue asked and then saw how Anna peacefully closed her eyes and went to sleep. She crawled her back for several more minutes trying to stay awake but just wasn't able to keep her eyes open anymore and soon was asleep as well...


	18. Why can't magic fix this?

_**Different Paths Part 18:**  
_**Why can't magic fix this?  
**

**AN:  
**I'm bad in spell writing, so forgive everything I make up below! **  
**

**_10 days later:  
_**Prue sat in the attic tons of herbs, bowls, potions, all around her. There were a million of rumpled paper pieces lying around it. The book of shadows was lying in Prue's lap as she flipped through it...  
"There has to be something..."  
Prue whispered. She flipped hurriedly with her left hand, since she cut her right already a billion times to get her blood, what was a part of Meghan's as well, through the book. It were three weeks Meghan was gone now... one more week till the due date was. The date nothing would work anymore. The day Meghan would be lost. She'd try everything to get her girl awake again. For hours she was sitting now in the attic trying to find something. It was already long after midnight, but Prue wouldn't stop trying till she found something   
"Maybe... I just have to call her soul or spirit and catch it into some lamp or something and then give it to Meghan in hospital again..."  
Prue mumbled again starting to flip the book

'_Host soul reject this evil essence,  
Let loves light end this cruel possession.'_

_Prue shook her head. It wasn't the right.  
"Tom... the spell to find tom..."  
Prue mumbled_

_Guiding spirits I ask your charity  
lend me your focus and clarity,  
Lead me to the one I cannot find  
restore that and my peace of mind._

Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Prue sighted and closed her eyes tightly again  
"Maybe the power stripping spell..."  
she whispered

_From whence they came,  
Return them now,  
Vanish the words,  
Vanish our powers._

"That's it"  
Prue said almost sure grabbing a piece of paper starting to scramble  
"From whence they came, return them now, vanish the demons' spell, vanish the unconsciousness."  
She read out aloud and then astral projected herself to the hospital, to see if Meghan woke. Nothing. She looked down at the spell in her hands   
"okay... once more: from whence they came, return them now, vanish the demons' spell, vanish the unconsciousness."  
Nothing. Both Prues sighted and astral Prue returned to her real self.  
"Damn it!"  
Prue yelled causing some books to fly out of their shelves and Prue buried her face in her hands. Phoebe heard the books crashing to the floor and woke. She was worried that a demon might was after the book and got up, hurrying upstairs, just to find Prue. She sighted and went up to her  
"Prue... what... what are you doing here? It's almost 4..."  
"I don't understand why magic can't fix this. We redid and vanquished spells of or demons themselves so many times, why not this time? I don't understand why this time is any different."  
"Cause this is something we can't heal. It has to happen natural. You heard Leo and Andy: they can't. We don't want Meghan to go crazy or something by being pulled out of her slumber too fats. It's the same thing with sleep-walking"  
"there's other magic we used before. Why can't I save my daughter? Magic caused this, why can't magic make everything unhappen again as well."  
"She's not dead, Prue..."  
"Not yet..."  
"Prue..."  
"What? Isn't it better she's... awake... and... okay than to just stay asleep and die?"  
"What if we shock her with waking her to death?"  
Prue starred into nothingness as tears again slipped from her eyes. She felt so vulnerable. So helpless. She'd give her own life, if it just helped her daughter. But it was impossible. She couldn't do anything. And that was the worst for Prue.  
"Prue..."  
she didn't react. Phoebe just went up to her and hugged her  
"Shshshsh"

Phoebe whispered, worried. She always thought it were just the hormones which were cooking over but seeing her biggest sister this miserable and not pregnant. She couldn't believe it.  
"c'mon... I bring you to bed"  
she whispered, Prue just let her lead her and lay down on the bed without a word of protest. Phoebe sat down on the edge of Prue's bed and crawled her head till she had cried herself to sleep.


	19. Things get serious

_**Different Paths Part 19:**  
_**Things get serious  
**

Prue thought her spells didn't do anything to Meghan, but at the hospital Meghan's body was reacting intensely to the spell. She was starting to burn up on the inside. At 6 Andy woke and saw her sweaty forehead. He gently touched her face and felt how hot she was. He pressed a button and a nurse came in  
"she's burning up"  
he told her. The nurse nodded and got a thermometer. Her temperature was 39.2C° (102.2F), but it was going up steadily. The nurse got cold compresses and Andy kept refreshing them, with no use. 

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

The girls, Leo and Cole sat all together at home at breakfast by 7. Piper just trotted in again from throwing up.  
"I hate being pregnant"  
"no you don't!"  
Phoebe answered her with a grin. Piper just stuck out her tongue at her. Leo smiled and gently placed her on his lap, trying to comfort her. Ann was sitting in her rocker and was talking to the fridge, with all the colourful stickers on, it was very interesting for the little girl. Prue made herself some bagel with marmalade, but never took a bite off it. She smiled as she saw Ann having fun and pecked her forehead  
"umm... I'm gonna go take a shower... can... can you guys watch Ann for a few minutes?"  
"Sure!"  
"Naturally!"  
Phoebe and Paige piped in, while Piper looked worried at her bigger sister  
"what about your bagel?"  
she asked  
"wha... oh... umm... I'm gonna eat it later"  
she said, putting on a quick smile and then slid out of the room, knowing everyone was gonna shoot at her now that Piper mentioned it. While Prue went upstairs Phoebe cleared her throat  
"people, I'm really worried about Prue..."  
"Who's not?"  
Piper responded  
"why?"  
Paige asked immediately  
"you're not worried?"  
Piper asked Paige  
"I guess... not... but... I don't know Prue that well... she's really caring and nice and all to me... but also I feel the most distance from her..."  
"Yeah... she's been closing up again"  
Piper said kinda sad  
"no, Piper, she has changed."  
Phoebe told Piper  
"what... do you mean?"  
"Last night, I woke by some noise in the attic... I went up to see what was wrong and found Prue was there. All books were lying on the floor. Prue was crying. And around her stood a million of potions and also laid a billion of crumbled pieces of paper... she must have been for hours up there, trying to find something to wake Meghan. I never saw her this way before..."  
Phoebe said lowly. Cole gently took Phoebe's hand in his and squeezed it gently. Phoebe smiled a little before continuing  
"really... she not even was this way when Andy died... or maybe she was... but she didn't show it this openly..."   
"Yeah... but I can understand... I mean... she got her daughter for only a few hours... and while she had her... they were sleeping... too exhausted to spend any time with each other. And now she might loose her again. We all played with Meghan, Prue didn't..."   
Paige said. Piper smiled a little  
"I thought you didn't know Prue"  
Paige smiled back

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

At the hospital suddenly all alarms went off. Andy looked worried around and then saw it was Meghan's heartbeat. It wasn't existing anymore!  
"No..."  
Andy whispered lowly clutching to her hand as he sent a message from his head to Leo's, just as doctors and nurses hurried in and pushed him away, to try to get Meghan back.

Leo shrugged together as the message was suddenly in his head. He looked up  
"Meghan"  
he whispered. piper turned around on his lap and starred at him  
"what?"  
she asked as everyone started to stare at him as well  
"I need to get Prue...it's Meghan... there's something very wrong"  
he said as he orbed out from under Piper to the bathroom. 

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

Prue was just soaping herself up as she suddenly saw the light  
"Leo!"   
she yelled trying to shield herself from his view  
"I know... but... Meghan... hurry"  
Prue froze immediately  
"no!"   
she said lowly starring at Leo  
"hurry"  
Leo repeated


	20. Lots of tears

_**Different Paths Part 20:**  
_**Lots of tears  
**

Leo orbed with Prue to the hospital and they reappeared in the woman's toilette.  
"Go... I go home already..."  
Prue just nodded and ran out of the toilette and to the ICU where they had kept Meghan in. nearly there, she saw a lot of nurses and doctor's leaving the ICU and her hopes were sinking.  
"No, no, no, no"  
she whispered silently as she made her way through the crowd. She looked into the room and saw Andy holding a 'lifeless' body. She just shook her head, faster and faster.  
'No... She's not... she can't be... no...'  
Prue thought and let out a sob, as tears ran again down her cheeks  
"no..."  
she finally said aloud, earning Andy's attention. He smiled slightly; he too had tears in his eyes. He whispered something to their girl, who suddenly turned around and faced Prue  
"momi!"  
she yelled a huge smile on her face. Prue looked shocked for a few seconds. She thought she was dead and now her little girl was looking at her with a happy face, like she'd just had been sleeping for along time. There was the purple light again and Meghan disappeared, leaving the machines to beep on their own, so she could be with Prue. She hugged Prue tightly. And Prue just starred into Andy's eyes, not understanding this. He told Leo it was an emergency and now Meghan was awake. Alive. Alright. Prue looked down at Meghan. She felt her warm skin on hers and her breath on her neck. She smelled her hair and heard her voice. She was there. She was okay. Prue held her tightly back  
"oh my god... you're okay... you're alright... you're there... I'm there..."  
suddenly she felt how her neck was starting to get wet and heard Meghan sob a little  
"don't go awai, momi..."   
"I'm not gonna go anywhere. You are okay. I'm here... shshshsh..."  
Prue said as she started to crawl Meghan's hair for the very first time. Andy went over to them and helped Prue to the bed... knowing this was much for her to handle, probably even too much.  
"te... te... bad man took me awai... an me wanna scream... but... but he... he tok mi foise (voice) awai... an... an ten sutenli you all wewe awai... me... me call fow you... but you wewe nowewe. I heawd youw foise but me no see you... and you didn't pick me... you wewe awai..."  
Meghan cried  
"I know... shsh... it's over now... you're alright. The bad man is gone. You 're okay... you're okay..."  
Prue whispered. she repeated the 'you're okay' part a million of times, to tell it to herself and to Meghan, while kissing her over and over again. When Meghan calmed finally almost completely down. Prue kissed her temple a few more times and noticed how hot she felt. She looked at Andy to see if she really felt right. her husband just nodded  
"she ahs a fever..."  
he answered. Prue looked back down at Meghan and grabbed for a nearby blanket wrapping it around Meghan  
"me wanna go home"  
Meghan said lowly... still sniffling slightly. Prue looked at Andy who nodded and then left the room to go ask a doctor and/or sign all the necessary papers. Prue just kept rocking Meghan and then tried laying her down on the bed, but Meghan kept a tight hold on her  
"c'mon pricess... lay down. Slept a little..."  
Prue whispered but Meghan shook her head  
"no go"  
"I won't go... but sweetie you still have a little fever and need to rest."  
Meghan again shook her head  
"okay... if you promise me you'll sleep when we get home, you don't have to sleep now"  
Meghan just nodded  
"you're okay" Prue just whispered again and kissed her forehead gently, continueing to rock her slightly.


	21. Some things will never change

_**Different Paths Part 21:**  
_**Some things never change  
**

Finally at home, Prue placed Meghan on the couch while Andy collected a thermometer, some orange juice and blankets. The girls were still sitting in the kitchen, waiting for some news. Andy entered the kitchen with blankets and the thermometer to get some juice as everyone starred at him  
"what?"  
"Where?"   
"How?"  
"Meghan and Prue are in the living. Meghan's beside some fever alright. What happened I'll tell when Meghan's asleep..."  
Andy said as he went for the fridge, then all three women ran off to Meghan and Prue and they all hugged the little girl.   
"Hey, hey, hey, enough now... don't wake her up too much now"   
Prue said. Meghan needed her rest and she was now short before falling asleep, so she really couldn't have her sisters getting her all hyper again. The girls understood and sat down somewhere around Meghan. Prue herself also sat down next to Meghan, as Meghan laid her head into her mom's lap  
"daddy's right back"  
Prue whispered, as she stroke Meghan's face and hair gently. Finally Andy returned. He handed the thermometer to Prue, placed the juice on the table and then covered Meghan up. Prue unwrapped the thermometer and then looked down at Meghan  
"okay... open your mouth, princess"  
Meghan shook her head covering her mouth with both hands  
"Meghan, please."  
Meghan again shook her head   
"Meghan, this isn't a game or something where you decided what will happen. I'll take your temperature and I don't care in what way, you heard me?"  
Prue asked in a serious voice. Meghan still didn't move. Andy looked at Prue, who nodded and Andy grabbed gently for Meghan's hand  
"open your mouth"  
she said serious. Meghan shook her head.  
"Sweetie, it'll just take a few seconds. It's over in a minute, please..."  
Prue nearly begged, then saw it had no use and grabbed her nose, so she couldn't breathe through it anymore. Soon enough Meghan opened her mouth and Prue placed the thermometer under her tongue. Andy then let go of Meghan's hands and looked worried down at his daughter, while sitting down where her feet ended. Phoebe just grinned. She had hated it, every time Prue had done that to her. She only remembered the nose part, but then saw how gently and loving Prue crawled Meghan's head and face to calm her down. To tell her she knew it wasn't a nice feeling, but that it had to be. Phoebe leaned her head back into Cole and then looked at Prue and her still worried face  
"I love you"  
Phoebe suddenly said everyone starred at Phoebe for that not getting who she meant, what she meant or why she said that. Phoebe just smiled and looked at Meghan  
"I know how that feels... the nose trick's evil. I know all you feel now is being angry at your mom and that you don't even notice what she does. I needed till today to realize and see it. Don't be mad at her. Just enjoy her gentle stroking and how she cares for you."  
Phoebe told her niece. Prue smiled a little and looked back down at Meghan, who now snuggled again into her mom's stomach and lap. Prue looked back at Phoebe and mouthed 'thanks' to her, before removing the thermometer, as it beeped.  
"you still wanna drink something?"   
she asked Meghan and she nodded. Prue grabbed for the juice and handed the glass to her daughter after placing her on her lap  
"with both hands"  
Prue lectured her, putting her other hand on the glass as well. Piper grinned, knowing that all too well as well. Meghan drank the glass empty and then Prue placed her back under the blanket and her head in her lap  
"you no going awai, wite?"   
Meghan asked. Prue smiled and kissed her forehead  
"whether me or daddy will stay right here with you, I promise... now just go to sleep, okay?"  
Meghan nodded and turned around... facing her mom's stomach as she started to go to sleep. Andy in the meantime had seen Leo holding Ann and smiled. He didn't hold his daughter for a while now. He got up and picked her from Leo  
"hey..."   
he said smiling... laying her across his chest  
"wow... you are getting biiiiig and heavy"  
he said smiling. Prue watched the scene and smiled, then looked back down at Meghan, who was now deep asleep and then stopped stroking her, just to wrap the blanket more around her  
"some things never will change"  
Piper said silently, smiling a little as well  
"what do you mean?"   
"There was a time Piper and I kept bugging Prue with the nickname mommy-sis."  
Phoebe answered Paige  
"the glass thingy... and the thermometer... 'I'll stay right here with you, I promise, now go to sleep' and that 'out of here she needs rest'... it's all too familiar"  
Piper added  
"yeah... and just good Meghan doesn't know what you would have done, if she didn't give up then..."  
"Why?"  
Paige asked  
"Phoebe though she tricked me, when she was like 7. She just fast snapped for air and then closed her mouth all too fats again. I had no chance."   
"And then Prue told me to face the wall. She uncovered me and took my temperature in my butt. I had no choice but to let it happen..."  
Prue smiled a little  
"it never hurt you and was just the best for you"  
Prue answered. Paige just smiled a little  
"I wished I could have been here as well"  
she told them  
"no offence, honey, but, I think another one I wouldn't have survived"  
Prue said laughing...  
"Yeah... Prue after all was still a kid herself..."  
Andy added as he sat back down, crawling Ann's back. Prue smiled and leaned over Meghan to peck him   
"and I wouldn't have made it without you"  
she told him. Andy smiled a little and pecked her again  
"but... you can try me and act childish now, if you wanna"  
Prue grinned  
"I think I'm gonna think about that"  
Paige answered and the girls started laughing  
"now what happened at the hospital?"  
Leo asked. Andy looked up at him, sighted and then looked back at Meghan  
"around 6 I woke up. I felt Meghan's cold hands and saw her sweaty forehead... so I felt it and she was burning up. Her temperature went up constantly till around 7 suddenly the regular sound of her heart beating was gone. I, at first, thought it was just the machine, which was broken but then looked down and saw she wasn't breathing anymore neither. Nurses and doctors hurried in right away as the machine automatically send a signal to them in that case. They had to reanimate her. Even with electroshock stuff and all. And after one of the shocks, she just opened her eyes and breathed again. The heartbeat was back and it was just like she just needed to shock us to show us she was still alive. The doctor's checked her over and confessed she was completely alrigth and awake again..."


	22. A family weekend

_**Different Paths Part 22:**  
_**A family weekend  
**

"We got everything? "  
Andy asked. Prue nodded.  
"Except the girls we should have. We really have to go shopping with at least Meghan"  
"we'll. As soon as she's better again."  
"You sure we should go?"  
"We deserved some time off. Some time alone with the girls"  
Andy answered Prue smiled a little and kissed him gently  
"you're right"  
she answered him as they went together to their closet, where they set the girls for now. Prue carefully, not to wake her, picked Brianna up and Andy sat down on Meghan's airbed. He put all the suitcases they packed on top of the airbed and Prue sat down on it as well, then Andy orbed them with the airbed to the beach house. Prue smiled a little remembering the surrounding all too well.  
"well I'm gonna set up the traveling crib"  
Andy told Prue, who carefully set Ann on the double sized bed  
"yeah and move Mags, too"  
Prue told him   
"yeah, okay... then I'm gonna do that first"  
Prue watched him pick up Meghan an set her next to Ann on the double sized bed  
"I'm gonna get some things for breakfast"  
Prue told him  
"okay"  
Andy said nodding. Prue kissed him before getting several things to eat and drink.

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

"Dadi, dadi... you comin' wif me to te watew?"  
Andy smiled at Meghan and nodded. Prue heard what was going on and looked up from feeding Ann  
"no. you two wait some more. As soon as Anna is full, we go shopping... get you some toys and water wings and bathing suit. One for Anna too. Then we go later today or tomorrow all together"   
Prue told them  
"but... momi..."  
"No buts Mags. You had yesterday still pretty high fever so it's not the most perfect for you to go bath in the sea anyway. Meghan made a face. Andy smiled and crouched down next to his daughter, ruffling her hair a little   
"mommy's right sweetie. We'll go tomorrow and now don't make a pouting face. You'll get tons of toys and stuff so we can play in the water, then it's gonna be all the more fun. And it's only Friday today, so we still have Saturday and Sunday to play in the water"  
"otai"  
Meghan answered, with a still not too happy face  
"how about you and daddy go outside and make a sand castle, till Anna and I are finished."  
"Can we?"  
Meghan asked. Andy smiled  
"buuut only if mommy gets a kiss first"   
Andy answered. A smile grew on her face as she ran over to Prue and kissed her fast before racing out. Andy smiled and went to Prue, gave her a small kiss before following their older daughter. 

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

They ate lunch in the town and then went shopping for several hours till about 6. Meghan had started to get tired by the walking and Andy set her in his neck. She was short before falling asleep as they arrived home. So while Prue again started to feed Anna, Andy and Meghan watched a little TV. Meghan on his lap. They had tried this way to get Meghan to sleep, knowing if you told kids, they had to go to sleep, they were awake again right away. This way Mags was asleep within a few minutes and set her on the bed again.  
"Well... what are we gonna have for dinner?"  
"We could make some lasagna"  
Andy put in  
"Nah... Better make spaghetti... remember how Phoebe 'liked' cheese..."  
"Don't remind me on those times"  
Andy answered laughing. They ended up eating at around 9 and then sat for some more outside with the kids. Prue, Andy and Meghan playing some board game.

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

At 10 they brought the kids to bed and spend some more time alone, on the beach, as close as possible to the house. The windows wide open.   
"I love this place. It's good to be back"  
she said smiling  
"I'm glad you're this happy... this relaxed. Didn't see you this relaxed in almost months"  
Prue smiled  
"yeah... no backache anymore... nothing to worry about anymore... our kids are sleeping peacefully and mainly alright like right next to us and you and me finally have some time alone again as well. What more can a woman ask for?"  
Prue asked smiling. Andy smiled as well and kissed her in a kind of passionate way, starting to try to unbutton her blouse. Prue after several minutes managed to pull away. She was kinda breathless  
"don't..."  
"What? Why not?"   
"You're not supposed to until 2 months after birth..."   
"Are you kidding me?"  
"No... Women already died on it..."  
Andy looked down  
"I don't wanna risk all of this... all we have now..."  
Andy nodded and pecked her  
"I love you"  
Prue's smile grew again  
"I love you too" 

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

The next day they all played the whole day on the beach. Andy tried to teach Meghan a bit of swimming as she loved to play in the water. Just like her little sister did. Prue placed her on her chest and then swam a little backwards. On her back, which caused Ann to giggle. She loved the water all over her. Meghan was thrilled. She had so many new toys. She didn't know where to start to play. Happiness had returned to the Trudeaus. In the evening Prue and Andy were again some time alone. They swam a little together. Kissed... teased each other and they talked.  
"We need to move out"   
"what?"  
Andy swam back to Prue, looking at her confused   
"we don't have space in the manor anymore. Meghan needs a room. A bed. We don't have the space for a bed in our closet. Plus, there soon also will be another kid. Maybe... we can get something close."   
"You sure about this?"  
"Honestly?"  
"Yes"   
"no. but I feel like we have to. We have to give our kids what they need. My sisters should slowly be old enough to care for themselves."  
Andy wrapped his arms around her and kissed her   
"you're right."  
Prue grinned more  
"maybe you can have that white fence in front of our house after all"  
she told him. Andy laughed and kissed her again, before getting out and going to bed.

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

The day after that Prue and Andy took Mags and Ann to a fair, which was close by. At the end of the day, they packed everything up again as good as possible, since they didn't have place for all the balloons and sweets of the faire. With all the new toys and clothes.  
"I'm not sure if I can do all of that, honey..."  
"Just try your best"  
Prue told him and pecked his lips gently. Before again playing with Meghan's hair, who giggled, trying to get away from her mom.  
"Could you two stop? I can't concentrate"  
"me hewp?"  
Meghan asked. Andy smiled  
"no princess, just be quite a few minutes so daddy can concentrate"  
he told her and then orbed home, seriously making it to orb them all and everything. 

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

Meghan showed everyone all of her toys and clothes. She told her aunts and uncles everything about the faire and the bitch. What they played and what they did. Everyone laughed and did their bets to understand what Meghan was telling them, even thought that sometimes was really difficult. It was a good ending for the wonderful weekend.

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

When the kids were in bed a weird silence fell upon the sisters and their men.  
"There's something wrong, right?"  
Piper asked, sensing there was something. Prue looked down.  
"What?"   
Phoebe asked, seeing Prue's reaction  
"you're serious? There's something wrong?"  
"Not exactly"  
Andy said. All eyes flew on him, except Prue's  
"we... umm... decided... it's time to... move out. The girls need their own rooms. Meghan... can't keep sleeping on an airbed."  
Prue told them. Piper didn't say a word instead got up and left the room. Prue swallowed.   
"Can at least you guys understand me?"  
Paige nodded and Phoebe just closed her eyes  
"why... we... you... you could move into the basement..."  
"And without me. You can build out the basement for you and Cole. Paige could make herself a little own flat in the attic and piper could have the first floor. Phoebe, I... I don't want this neither... but... it's for the best... for all of us."  
"And we try to find something as close as possible. Price won't play a role in this case"  
Andy added. Phoebe swallowed hard as some tears fell from her eyes as she went over to her big sister and started to cry into her sister's chest, as if she still was a little kid  
"heeey... we have lived apart before"  
Prue said, crawling her hair, trying to calm her  
"that was different"  
Phoebe sniffled. Prue sighted, she knew her little sisters was right and just kept hugging her, motioning for Paige to join as well. Leo looked down  
"I'm gonna go see what's with Piper…"  
he said lowly. Prue looked up at him   
"no... Let me... please..."  
she said forcing a smile. Leo just nodded while Prue started to get out of her other youngest sisters' grip.


	23. Tries with no use

_**Different Paths Part 23:**  
_**Tries with no use  
**

**--------------------**

Piper lay on the bed and cried into her pillow she was holding close to her chest and hugging like a teddy bear. She starred ahead, as tears flew down her cheeks. She heard a knock and knew it was Prue. She didn't react.

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

"Piper?"   
Prue called softly but again there was no reaction  
"Piper, honey... can I come in?"  
again there was no reaction  
"please?"   
Prue asked but still there was nothing on the other side of the door. She sighted and tried the door. It was locked.  
"Piper... please let me explain..."  
Prue begged. Nothing. 

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

Piper couldn't believe her big sis was leaving. Was leaving her alone with the pregnancy. With a baby. With being the oldest. She couldn't believe she and Prue wouldn't live under one roof anymore. They never lived apart. They already didn't live in the manor, but still they lived together. Now, that she needed her the most, she was just going away. Piper bit her lip and closed her eyes tightly, trying to stop crying, but failed, sinking her head deeper down to hide her face in the pillow.

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

Prue still stood outside and heard her sister's sobs. She sank down to the floor.  
"Piper... please... at least let me explain"  
she begged again. But she heard nothing but crying.  
"I'm... gonna go... to my room now... go to bed... if... if you want to talk or... need me... you... you know where to find me, okay?"  
Prue asked, slowly getting up again. She leaned onto the door, but there was nothing.

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

Piper heard footsteps and knew her sister was gone. Not in front of her door anymore.  
"Maybe now you are"  
she said lowly, before breaking down even more...


	24. A few hard weeks, again

_**Different Paths Part 24:**  
_**A few hard weeks, again  
**

**--------------------**

The next few weeks weren't easy for anyone of them. Prue and Andy tried their best to find furniture and a house at the same time, while Meghan kept bugging them that they needed to buy pink color, to paint her new room. Through all that stress, they still had a crying baby in the room. Which wasn't really doing any good to their nerves and while Andy still had time to recover at work, Prue was with Meghan and Brianna the whole day. Sometimes, when Andy came home, she just let everything fall right where she was and fled from the house. Searching the needed time out in some ridiculous driving around the city.

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

Phoebe was dealing with it more or less good and when it was less, she just went to her room, and spend there the next few hours, snuggled up to Cole, who tried to calm her down. But what was really surprising: Phoebe found a job! No one really believed in it and now in the probably most critic time of the sisters' history there finally were some good news. She got a job at a local paper, where she was an advice columnist (not as big as in charmed, she might slowly work upwards, though). She was happy with it and other people's problems kept her from thinking about her own

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

Paige was suffering under the bad mood at the manor and so barely came home. She mostly stayed at Glenn's, avoiding her sisters. At home, she, like Phoebe, distracted herself from what was going on at home. While Phoebe wrote, Paige was painting.

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

Piper for her part, never again talked one single word to Prue. Not since she announced she'd move out. She didn't cry after that night anymore neither. She just ignored the fact, her big sister was existing. And just kept on going, for the baby, which was growing inside of her.

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

This was going for almost two months. Piper was nearly through the 4th month of her pregnancy and it hurt Prue so much, she didn't show her stuff about the baby. Piper didn't take her baby shopping. She didn't take the offer of Prue, to give her the old stuff of Ann for Mel. She didn't ask her anymore about how to lay, about what to eat, about what she should do in certain situations. It was a pure psychotic drama in the manor. And, as worst as this already was, naturally the demon attacks, especially on Meg and Ann, increased dramatically.


	25. Gooood news

_**Different Paths Part 25:**  
_**Gooood news  
**

**--------------------**

Prue started to doubt their decision, till Andy came home one evening. He was smiling from ear to ear, when he went up to Prue, in their room, as she was feeding Ann once again.  
"hey, beauty"  
He kissed her gently and then grinned at her  
"where's Mags?"   
"napping."  
Andy kept grinning at her  
"what's that goofy grin supposed to mean?"  
she asked confused  
"gooood news"  
"I can see that"  
"I found a house..."  
Prue looked down  
"I... honey..."  
"wait... first let me finish, okay?"  
Prue looked for a second back up and then down again, but nodded slightly  
"it's... you know the manor's backyard, right?"  
"Andy... I lived here almost my whole life..."  
Andy ignored her and continued  
"remember when we crawled as kids into that old wife's garden which is like... on the back of the manor?"  
"misses Larsanda's? yeah... so?"   
"she died a few months ago and now her family decided to sell it... we could tear down the fence... and have one huge backyard, which is connected to the manor's... we always can go through the backyard and the backdoor from our house to the manor and the other way round..."  
Andy said kind of excited.  
"This isn't funny, Andy"  
"I know it's not. But I'm not fooling you. I'm serious, honey"  
Andy told her. Prue starred at him a few more minutes till a huge smile appeared on her face  
"Phoebe!"   
she yelled carefully pulling Ann away, and handing her fats to Andy, running out of the room  
"Paige!"  
she yelled   
"Piper! I have news! Great news!"  
she yelled excited now as well.  
"What?"  
Phoebe asked storming out of her room, Paige following a few minuets afterwards...  
"we're having a house... misses Larsanda's house!"  
"you mean like... next street... across manor house?"  
Phoebe asked. Prue nodded  
"Andy said we'd get it... and...We could have a huge back yard and..."  
their faces lit and they all cheered and hugged. Piper came out of her room, woken by the screams. The three sisters froze immediately  
"Phoebe, Paige, could you two please be a bit more quite?"  
she asked in a nerved voice, before going back to her room. Prue swallowed and looked to the floor...   
"I... umm... need to... finish feeding Ann..."  
she said lowly before retreating to her room as well. Andy just pulled her into his arms, holding her tight. The psychotic terror Piper was making, was hurting Prue more than anything.  
"Momi?"  
Meghan asked from the door, rubbing her eyes. Prue pulled away from Andy and went to the kids room  
"I'm sorry baby, did we wake you?"   
Prue asked, like pushing a button and switch from Prue to mommy. Meghan nodded, still pretty sleepy. Prue kissed her forehead gently and went with her back to the room and sat with Meghan in her lap down on the rocking chair. She started crawling her back and kissing her head, trying to get her daughter back to sleep


	26. Scream

_**Different Paths Part 26:**  
_**Scream  
**

**--------------------**

Phoebe watched Prue and looked at Paige  
"now it's enough!"  
she said and stormed to piper's room entering without even knocking or something  
"Phoebe! Have you lost your mind? Ever heard about knocking!"  
Piper yelled  
"no! I didn't loose my mind! That you already have! What the hell is wrong with you? Don't you think it's not already hard enough, that Prue's moving out, without you... being... behaving in such an idiotic way!"  
she yelled at her sister  
"Phoebe..."  
Paige said, trying to keep her sister from keeping the volume towards Piper.  
"No Paige, I don't fucking care anymore! Just cause she's pregnant and hormones here and there and whatever... I don't care! You have been treating Prue like shit! Do you think this will change anything! Have you ever listened to her? What her reasons are? She's doing it not because she wants to, but cause she wants the best for her kids and us... and the kid that's growing inside of you! She wants to move out, so you have an own 'apartment' here in the manor! So your baby has a room! So me and Cole have the basement... and have a flat on or own as well... and Paige can have the basement... so everyone would have more privacy! More space! More everything! Have you seen how Meghan is living! She's sleeping for months now on an airbed! Would you like to sleep in your home on an airbed, just cause there's not enough spaces for you to have a real place to sleep!"  
Phoebe yelled at her, not bale to hold herself back anymore. Leo had been downstairs reading some book and Cole was waiting for Phoebe to come back in their room. They heard the yelling and hurried to the source of it. Paige still tried to calm Phoebe down, but failed. Finally, Cole picked phoebe up. Carrying her away, Phoebe continuing to scream, and trying to kick Cole, so he had to let her go, but he didn't. Not until they were in the room and he knocked the room.  
"Phoebe, calm down, now, will you?"  
"no!"   
Phoebe replied stubbornly Cole slightly slapped her so she'd get to senses again and finally Phoebe seemed to calm down   
"sorry..."  
"it's okay... it was needed..."  
she said smiling slightly, as she walked closer to him and cuddled into his chest.

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

In the meantime, Leo had walked up to his wife and held her close to him   
"you okay?"  
he asked lowly and piper just nodded absently. Paige looked at Piper  
"I'm not supporting Phoebe or the way she told you that. But, it really had to be. You have no idea how this is killing Prue on the inside... and just so you know... they searched now for 2 months and have seen really wonderful places, but didn't say anything, cause they were too far away and now they're buying this old house of misses Larsanda, which will cost at least double as much of everything, cause it has to be renovated and painted on the outside and all... but they'll take it, just cause it's close! Closer than even possible..."  
Paige said lowly and turned around, not looking at Piper  
"nice talk... really... ever thought about, that I might have feelings as well..."   
Piper said lowly...  
"I know you do, Piper! But, goodness do you have to behave this way? We all are sad... but Prue and Andy promised they'd get something as close as possible... and now we'll just have a backyard between her and us... but that you don't care about!"  
Paige snapped, before going back to her painting as well.  
"Have I really been such a bitch?"  
piper asked Leo lowly and Leo just looked down, nodding a bit. Piper swallowed  
"can you help me... realizing an idea of me... to apologize?"  
"I can try to...

**--------------------**

**AN:  
**okay, umm, since I thought, maybe some of you didn't quite understand what I meant last post with like across... or next to the manor... so I made a little streetplan. Or better a block-plan? Well anyway... here it goes... 


	27. Something to hide

_**Different Paths Part 27:**  
_**Something to hide?  
**

**--------------------**

"Andy!"   
"what?"  
"we're gonna go now!"  
"wait!"  
Andy yelled back running from the new house back to the manor  
"momi, come!"  
Mags begged; trying to pull her mom towards the door  
"Mags, I first need to talk to daddy before we can go but you can got to the car already"  
"otai"  
Meghan answered and started to run from the solar  
"no running!"  
Prue called after her  
"Mags where are you going?"  
Andy asked seeing his daughter run away, as soon as she was out of Prue's sight again. Prue smiled seeing Andy and walked up to him  
"she can't wait for us to go, so she wants to go to the car already"  
Prue filled Andy in.   
"well, I guess we shouldn't let her waiting so I'll take you to the car"  
Andy said grabbing the car seat and baby bag from Prue  
"sooo, you know, only clothes, right?"  
"I hope I can only... but I don't seriously think I can get Mags away from the toys store though"  
Andy smiled  
"leave your time. You guys don't have to hurry. I mean you could tell her, you only look around and she afterwards has to decide for one toy"  
Prue smiled  
"that'll last ages"  
"I know"  
Andy said grinning. Prue saw his smirk and glanced at him  
"you wanna get rid of us or something?"  
"Umm... no why? My affair is only coming in and hour..."  
Andy said smirking  
"very funny!"   
Prue said hitting him slightly  
"yeah, it really is, huh?"   
"No it's not! Now why you want to get rid of us, huh?"  
"I don't... I just... want you to have fun... even if I'm not able to come with you. At least you guys should have fun... while I work on the house..."  
Andy answered, the best excuse he could make up so fast. Prue sighted and looked down, stopping for a second   
"promise me, we'll do something together later. I mean... its Saturday... you only work theses days, seriously, whether you are at the station or at the house. I miss you"  
Prue said. Andy looked down at her and set the car seat on the floor, then went back up to Prue and picked her face up in his hands  
"I miss you too, but... I don't know how to handle this otherwise."  
He said and kissed her tenderly. Prue kissed him back  
"leave the work on the house behind?"  
Prue asked  
"we talked about this. We won't let Piper screw us this... remember?"  
"yeah"  
Prue said nodding, forcing a smile  
"now you girls just have some fun while I'll work..."  
he said smiling  
"I'd prefer you coming with us though"  
she answered as they started to walk again and Andy picked the car seat already  
"me too, believe me... but we'll have enough time for this again as soon as the house's done."  
Prue smiled as they reached the car. She took the baby bag of Andy and went around the car to place it in the trunk. Andy in the meantime set the car seat, which held Anna inside the car. He checked up on her once more and then gently kissed her forehead. Finally he closed that door carefully, not to wake Anna up. Then went around the door to the door behind the driver's seat. He opened it up and looked at his older daughter  
"don't make it too hard for mommy to say no, okay?"  
"Can me get one tedi?"   
"Just listen to mommy"  
Meghan sighted and finally nodded   
"otai"  
"that's my girl"  
Andy said proud and kissed her forehead as well, then again looked at her  
"do I get a kiss too?"  
Andy asked Meghan looked up at the ceiling of the car, as if she was thinking about what to do. It was obvious she just wanted to tease Andy, as a big smile was grown on her face.  
"Oooh you..."  
Andy growled and reached inside the car and started to tickle her  
"otai! Otai! Me give up!"  
Meghan said, still giggling and pecked Andy's cheek. Andy stopped tickling her immediately, buckled her up and smiled once more at her, before closing that door as well again. Finally he took a step forward to the driver's seat door, where Prue leaned on the open door  
"don't let good looking little boys check you out, okay?"  
he asked smirking  
"argh... you caught me"  
Prue told him and kissed him once more  
"don't worry. I'll just show them my ring and kids..."  
"and what if they say they're better"  
"then I tell them, that I have the most passionate, caring, loving and at the same time crazy man on the whole world at home already"  
Andy smiled and grabbed her around the waist, 'throwing' her in a rock 'n roll kind of matter into his arms, so her back was bowed and he leaned over her to kiss her, while he held her steady with the other hand  
"love you beauty"  
he said, looking into her eyes as he pulled away. Prue smirked and kissed him again, then worked her way up so she was standing properly again. Still kissing him, she slowly slid down on the driver's seat. Andy followed her every move, while letting her lips not one second leave his.  
"You too"  
Prue finally said, pulling away, then pushed him slightly away, so she could close the door and they had something between them. She buckled up and then looked into the back mirror to check up on the kids. Finally she threw Andy a final smile before driving off. 

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

Andy stood on the stairs, watching them drive off  
"okay... great... enough time!"  
he said smirking. He looked around and as no one was in sight, orbed back to the new house  
"they're gone!"   
he called, revealing the sisters, Leo and Cole coming out of their hiding spots and going back to work... 

**--------------------**

**AN:  
**sorry people... I didn#t know in the fan fiction part w w w s won't work... so it was unfortunately not in the last chapter, but now there is the the street or block plan as well as the first pictures of the house up on my profile. Have a lot of fun watching it!

Aaaand... I finally have to make a real AN again... I thank you guys all sooo much for staying with me, though I didn't react on your reviews in a while now. Life has been busy and I'm glad I could do, what I was doing... and uploaded new chapters at least kidna regularly... I promise, there will be soon again also reeeal AN again, which will get more into detail to what you reviewed, really sorry for that one.

Soo before i end, once more a big thanxs for staying tuned and for all the kind words you all said, thanxs so much!


	28. A new home

_**Different Paths Part 29:**  
_**A new home  
**

**--------------------**

In the late evening Prue came back home. Ann was already sleeping again while Meghan was still trying to stay awake  
"c'mon princess, let's go upstairs"  
Prue told her not noticing, the manor was empty  
"nooo"  
"you don't have to sleep, sweetie... we'll just lay a little down and cuddle"  
Prue argued, since as soon as she had her in bed, she'd fall asleep anyway, so it was the easiest way, to say, they'd just go cuddle a while.  
"Nooo"   
Prue sighted and kneeled down in front of her  
"honey, we discussed this before. We agreed on you not having to sleep but at least lay down half an hour and do nothing..."  
"but... me wanna sow dadi mi new bawbis"  
Prue smiled  
"alright, come here"  
Prue said and picked Mags with her free hand up, walking with both children to the new house  
"Andy!"  
Prue called, as she entered  
"dadi!"  
Meghan yelled as well. They didn't get any respond. Prue walked more inside and first noticed the bright yellow wall and their new giant couch, then only noticed the whole hallway and way back to the backdoor, she just walked through, was painted clear white.  
"What... Andy!"  
she yelled again, looking more around, surprised to see, that everything seemed set. All the doors were open and she saw green coming from the office and bleu from the bathroom. Then saw the red from the kitchen. She shook slightly, not getting what was going on. She had expected this all to be a huge building space, what it was when she saw it the last time yesterday. But from where she was now, everything was set. Everything done, at least down here. She walked over to the couch and set Mags down on it. Then placed the car seat on the floor and picked Ann out, to get her out of her jacket and cap.  
"Mags, I want you to watch Anna for me for a second, okay?"  
Meghan nodded  
"otai, momi"  
Meghan said, as Prue grabbed a pillow to support Ann's head  
"I'm right back"  
Prue said and pecked her forehead. Prue then went to the kitchen and gasped. It was all set. The kitchen, Andy and her had picked two months ago, was completely built up. She didn't even dream about the light wood matching this perfect with the white shelves and red walls. She looked over to the pass through and smiled slightly, seeing the dining corner done as well. She shook her head slowly. This was impossible. She didn't call for Andy, guessing she'd not find him till she discovered everything he had done, anyway. She didn't have to check the bath and office, knowing it was everything done  
"c'mon princess, we're gonna go upstairs"  
Prue said, picking Ann up again and grabbing for her oldest daughter's hand  
"momi, wat awe wong?"   
"iii think, daddy wanted to surprise us with something really really big"  
Prue answered her, walking slowly, so Meghan could keep up to the stairs  
"you gonna make all those biiig steps?"   
Mags nodded very fast  
"me big giwl"  
Prue smiled  
"I know... c'mon."  
Prue said as they started to climb the stairs together. Upstairs, the hall too was clear white. She looked to her right and saw a piece of bed from the room and her had planned to be theirs. Then glanced back over to where the kids' room were supposed to be, and saw the pink and orange coming from the rooms. Meghan saw the pink as well and let go off her mom's hand running to her new room  
"momi, look!"  
Meghan yelled thrilled. Prue smiled and went to the orange painted room. Ann's crib was set up there. And a mobile of little sheep was hung up over the crib, moving a little by the wind coming from the open door. Prue smiled   
"looky"  
she told Ann, who had woken up, when she checked the kitchen. Ann giggled seeing the 'dancing' sheep her mom pointed to. Prue smiled and laid her down in her crib. A light brown teddy bear was set in the crib which Ann grabbed and started to play with. Prue smiled and then finally looked more around. The walls were painted a bright orange. With a sponge darker parts were dumped onto the walls. It looked amazing and matched perfectly to all the white furniture with the orange highlights. Prue shook her head lightly, fascinated by what her husband had done in this little amount of time. She looked back at Ann and guessed she was good, being a while by herself. Then noticed the turned on baby monitor which stood on the shelf over the crib and shook her head  
"I guess I'm supposed to take that here along, huh?"  
Prue asked into the monitor, then grabbed it and walked to the door, which was set between the two kids' bedroom, guessing she'd come to Meghan's room now, but instead she was coming into a bright lime green room. The kids' bathroom. It held two showers, mirrors and sinks. Two stools so the kids could reach the sink and tab better. She shook her head in disbelieve, and then made her way to the other door in the bathroom, which now lead to Meghan's room. She opened to reveal pretty much the same structure of the walls here as well, but in pink. Ready for a princess. She smiled. Meghan didn't even notice her, checking all the toys which were there and all the space she had to play with them now. Prue smiled, seeing how thrilled her kids were. She left Meghan alone and finally went to her own bedroom. She entered it and was speechless... not by the furniture, or the walls but at the ceiling. The ceiling wasn't flat. It looked like clouds. It had a structure. Was painted like the heaven. Prue shook her head. Not believing this. For a few minutes, she just stood there starring at the ceiling. She then slowly walked over to the bed. She needed to sit down. She ended up laying down and continued to stare at the ceiling. It looked amazing. She then looked more around. There was a bookshelf with all her books set in one corner; in the other was a little couch to read on. She smiled  
"you're an angel"  
she whispered and looked down, noticing it all was new. Not fully understanding why, because Andy and her had agreed on leaving the bedroom furniture for now, with their old. She then got up again. Going to the closet. Finding all their clothes  
"and crazy"   
she said and left the closet again. She then saw the opened door opposite of the closet and went towards it, walking slightly around the bed into the dark turquoise room, which held their bathroom. She gasped again, seeing the huge and expensive shower. But was surprised to see only a shower two sinks and the toilette in the room, then noticed it was just a wall, which wasn't put up through all the room and walked through to the other section of the room, where a huge 250m bathtub stood. Prue put a hand to her mouth and tried to keep herself together with waving some air to her face. But it had no use.  
"Okay... I got it... could you please come out now?"   
she asked in a cracking voice and then heard the sound which usually was coming along with orbing.  
'He must stand behind me'   
she thought and slowly turned around to find the whole family, even Piper standing there  
"how... when..."  
she asked, kinda lost in this new, amazing and huge house right now.  
"We painted everything already yesterday... just had to set the furniture"  
Andy told her, approaching her and went to his wife's side, holding her, scared she'd break down.  
"It all started with piper wanting to make you a new bedroom, as an act of apologising. I agreed and then Phoebe and Paige wanted to help, so they made the kids' rooms. The rest we had somewhat planned already and so me, Leo and Cole just did the rest. Prue looked at her very much pregnant oldest young sister  
"you... did... the ceiling?"   
she asked in a low whisper, not daring to speak. Piper nodded slightly and smiled  
"I hope you like it"  
piper answered, talking the first few words in months to her sister. Prue had tears in her eyes as she pulled away form Andy and hugged Piper tightly   
"I'm so sorry for how I behaved. Please forgive me"  
Prue just nodded and then looked at her other sisters  
"come here already"  
she said in barely auditable voice as the other two joined the hug  
"I love you guys"  
she said with all the voice she still had, then looked up and mouthed a thanks to Cole and Phoebe, and then turned round, and instead of saying something to Andy, just kissed him.

**--------------------**

**AN:  
**okay... hum... someone who almost mostly gets everysthing to read befor ei publish it, asked me, where allt he money for everything wa socmign from and I guess that#s a question which is pretty good. I explain ti all with this: first of all... Prue worked all these years and even a year longer than in charmed, so she could have saved some money. Then, there was for almost 3 years a paying check to Andy's bank from 'working', since he actually never died, but sicne he in reality was dead, he never ahd to sue any of the money, so this explains where some of the money comes from. They decided to take a credit, cause they wanted it all to be nicely done on the inside, cause it most likely has no sue to at first set everything, so you can live in it, and then buy everything step yb step. Same money, maybe even more, if you first buy cheep stuff. So they decided to amek everything good enough for it to live in it on logn time, except their room, where they wanted to stand abck, but that was 'sponsered' by Piper. Also... between the buy of the hosue and till ti's as far as now, passed several months, and as you all noticed, I wrote piepr as very pregnant, so it all is almost a year after Ann's birth. Much time to lay some money aside. Plus: they did everything alone. Also renovated the fronts, whichw asn#t really much fo a deal with Leo beign a ahndy amn and knowing how to do such things. Sooo, yes, they're still over their budget, but not as mucha s you all might think


	29. Bed gymnastics

_**Different Paths Part 29:**  
_**Bed gymnastics  
**

**--------------------**

Prue lay in front of Andy in the bathtub, relaxing against his chest. It was several hours after Andy surprised her with the finished house. They had partied a bit and talked a lot, then her sisters left and Prue and Andy were alone with the kids. Andy made them something for dinner and afterwards they watched some cartoons. When the kids were finally in bed they ended up in the new, huge bathtub.  
"I love you"  
"I know..."   
"your nose hangs in the clouds tonight, huh?"  
"no, but... if you didn't love me... you wouldn't have done all of this for me today..."  
Andy smiled, Prue was right. he leaned over her shoulder and kissed her  
"I don't know how to say thanks for all of this..."  
Prue told him, after pulling away   
"don't... this was my thanks for 32 weeks of pregnancy and almost same amount of hours for delivery"  
Prue smiled more.   
"You know... when I took Anna last week to the doc, I got checked out as well..."  
"What? Is something wrong?"  
"noo... no... not at all... I talked with her about this not doing certain gymnastics in bed till all the wounds of the birth have healed..."   
Andy smirked  
"do you want to say... we can enjoy our first night in our new bed now even more?"  
Prue smirked slightly as well  
"I wanted to wait for a good moment... but I guess this here's perfect..."  
Andy smiled and kissed her passionately and then slowly down her neck  
"heeey... not so fast... bedroom first... sex later"  
"well then let's better get going"   
Andy smirked, not able to wait anymore. He didn't have the chance to have sex with Prue now for, in his opinion, too long. Prue smiled. She knew this was something Andy had waited for already a while.  
"Waaait a second"  
she said, turning around, so they laid chest on chest, then leaned down and kissed him passionately. She pulled laughing away and looked at her husband   
"wow... not so fast, buddy"  
"what? How can you kiss me like that and practically press your breasts into my face... and not expect my little man to react?"  
Prue laughed even more and got out of the tub  
"c'mon already"  
she said smiling, on the inside shaking her head  
'men'

**--------------------**

**AN:  
**okay, umm... I'm gonna use this chapter for some big news. This part of my series will be the last. My work is finished, and I probably will not post anything anymore. My dreams are realized and as I wrote already over 200 chapters in these parts, I think it#s time to let the other writers about this great couple take over.  
another announcement is, that this part here won't have much more chapters neither. At most I planned 40, but I don't think I can make it there, cause I'm running out of ideas here ;)  
I hope I inspired some of you to start writing as well, it's really nto as hard as it looks like, at leats not if you write crap like I did. (yes, I never thought my stuff was too good). You just have to look deep into your heart and write down your deepest desires.


	30. Barbecue

_**Different Paths Part 30:**  
_**Barbecue  
**

**--------------------**

It was bright daylight already for a while. Andy crept into the bedroom and sat down next to Prue, starting to kiss her naked back, neck and face. A small smile appeared on Prue's face as she took in a deep breath. Andy smiled as well and kissed her lips. Prue started to return it and when the long kisses finally ended, Prue opened her eyes and looked at him  
"hey"  
"hey"  
she said in a sleepy voice  
"slept good?"  
he asked grinning  
"yeah... too good, probably"  
she said smiling  
"what's that grin supposed to mean?"  
"The question was rhetorical"  
"what do you mean?"  
"That it's already 1 pm?"  
he asked. Prue froze  
"you're kidding, right?"  
"nope... everyone waits in the garden for us... we made a barbecue... everything's set to eat"  
Prue smiled, sat up and kissed him again  
"why didn't you wake me earlier?"  
"I know what you went through the last months with Anna's teeth and Meghan's nightmares..."   
Prue smiled  
"I love you"  
she whispered. Andy just leaned down and kissed her in return  
"go already downstairs... I'll be there in a minute"  
"okay"  
Andy said and kissed her once more before going downstairs again

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

Prue appeared several minutes later in a pair of tight blue jeans and red shoulder free t-shirt-top in the backyard  
"momi!"  
Meghan yelled. she pulled away from her aunt Paige to run to her mom. Prue smiled and picked her up as she ran straight into her arms  
"heeey"   
she said smiling and kissed her cheek  
"whoa... sleeping beauty is coming..."  
Phoebe teased. Prue gave her a glare and then a wink, and then looked back down at Mags  
"and how did you sleep? No nightmares?"  
Mags shook her head  
"nope... and mi wom's vewy col"  
"I know"  
Prue said smiling and then looked back at the group  
"where's Anna?"  
"Sleeping under the tree over there"  
Paige answered when Andy came over to the table with some steaks, sauces and other things to grill. He went over to Prue and kissed her again  
"hey, could you stop that? Hungry here!"  
Piper called, more joking than meaning it all serious. Prue pulled away and smiled  
"don't get cocky or I'm gonna think about that talking to you once more"  
Prue said laughing, walking with Mags in arms and Andy by her side over to the table, then sat down on one of the two last two places. It was a quarter shaped table. For each couple one side. Prue sat Mags down on her lap and then looked at Paige  
"thanks for watching them"   
"always"  
Paige returned. Prue then glanced at the man next to Paige, surprised it wasn't Glenn  
"oh right... sorry I forgot... Prue... my boyfriend Alex... Alex... my oldest sister Prue"   
"nice to meet you"  
Prue said looking slightly irritated. She leaned over to Paige and whispered  
"what's with Glenn..."   
"Later..."  
Paige whispered back. Prue nodded slightly and then looked up again  
"honey, what you want?"  
Andy asked, as everyone else had already their meat  
"umm... Mags, what do we want?"  
she asked looking down at Meghan  
"te funi sausas auntie pipew makes!"  
"It's made, princess"  
Andy corrected her and put some of the sausages Piper cut in at the ends, so it looked like it where four feet. Prue smiled and looked at Piper, seeing her with painful face  
"you okay?"  
"Yeah... don't worry"  
Piper returned, putting on a smile, as everyone else started to look at Piper, like she was a ticking bomb.  
"I'm fine, people... just... backaches..."  
she assured them, everyone going back to eat, except Prue  
"momi!"  
Mags called  
"wha... what?"  
Prue asked, shaking her thoughts away to look down at her daughter  
"cut!"  
Mags told her. Prue smiled  
"sure"  
she answered. Andy poured Prue some sprite into her glass and some bluna for Meghan, before kissing Prue once more  
"Leo... can you reach me the ketchup"

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

After they finished Piper got up  
"I'm gonna get the desert"   
Piper told them  
"want me..."  
"No, Leo, I don't want you to help me... I'm alright... not ill... just pregnant, okay?"   
Prue smiled a little and looked at Andy  
"I wasn't that bad, right?"  
"No... No... Naturally not... I told you to stop it before you got the chance to get this annoying"  
Prue said grinning as they leaned in for another kiss. Mags laid already half asleep in Prue's arms as Ann started to cry and scream loudly. Andy was about to get up, when Prue stopped him  
"wait. Let me... you had her already all morning"  
she said smiling and passed Mags on to Andy, then got up, going over to the tree, where Brianna was sleeping on a blanket  
"hey... hey... it's okay... mommy's here"  
Prue said, staying for a while more under the tree, crawling her back

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

Piper was in the kitchen... trying to relax a little. It seemed like everything hurt, every bone, every muscle. She walked over to the fridge to grab the bowl of pudding. She just had the door closed again, as she suddenly shrugged together by a sharp pain in her back, the glass bowl with pudding hitting the floor, causing a loud crash.

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

Prue practically stood next to the kitchen window as the bowl hit the ground. She shrugged together at the crash and Anna started crying lowly again.  
"shshshsh"  
Prue made while glancing up at the kitchen window and saw Piper's face and how she tried to get air. She glanced back at the table and saw everyone laughing. She knew Piper'd freak if she got everyone to be a pain in the neck without any real reason and so decided to go in on her own. She entered seeing piper back on the counter a huge mix of different liquids was on the floor. Blood, something water alike and pudding. Prue looked up at her sister's face. Both knowing what that meant  
"okay... stay calm"  
Prue told her gently as she walked closer to Piper, trying to balance on the liquid, backing Piper and carrying Anna at the same time. Prue lead Piper to the living and set her in one of the armchairs  
"stay here... I'm back in a second"  
Prue told Piper before starting to head back out  
"Prue!"  
Piper yelled. Prue turned around again  
"don't go"  
"honey... I have to bring Ann away... and get Leo... I'm back in a second I promise"  
Prue said, then saw Piper's face and smiled at her, going back to Piper, hugging her tightly  
"don't worry, everything's okay"  
she whispered, kissed her forehead and then started for the door again  
"Prue!"  
Piper yelled again  
"pip..."  
"Hurry!"  
Prue smiled and nodded. She went back to the backyard  
"okay, people... stay calm now... but... it's baby alarm"  
Prue told them  
"what!"  
Leo asked, jumping up  
"hey... she's okay..."  
Prue said smiling  
"she's in the living"  
Leo nodded and ran to the manor. She glanced at Mags and saw she was asleep. Andy nodded  
"I'm gonna bring her to bed"  
Prue nodded back and smiled  
"set the baby monitor"  
Andy nodded, getting up. She then handed Anna to Phoebe looking at her and Cole  
"can you..."  
"Sure"   
"I... better go..."  
Alex said while he got up  
"you don't have to..."  
"I know... but I want to... this is a family thing..."  
"Okay... then I bring you outside..."   
Paige offered in time with Prue to head back into the manor. When they were all alone with Anna, Cole looked at Phoebe  
"so much to... we tell them..."  
Phoebe looked down at Anna and sighted. She hated to have to hide something of her sisters. 

**--------------------**

**AN:  
**sorry to leave ya hanging here... but... well sometimes a cliffhanger's good, right?

Peanut2lb: well yeah... maybe it was romantic, but it also was a) very old... wrote pretty much the same scene already a million of times and b) I can#t keep up the happy family thing forever... will eb getting boring after a while and you people probably want to get some more action...

Poofball: thanxs for the nice compliment and your review

PrUe AnD Andy: aww you're so cute! I know, I don't want it to stop neither... but I only have a tiny amount of ideas left over... two of those three I have started with this chapter... aaand maybe there will be an epilogue... a tiny thing with 10 chapters playing in the future... belonging on the feedback I get after I finish this...  
and... I might won't write anymore, but I'll still be part of fan fic net and so will be my stories...  
plus... hey... why don't you sign in and try to publish some things? I'm sure you'd be a great author as well


	31. Guess who just got born

_**Different Paths Part 31:**  
_**Guess who just got born  
**

**--------------------**

An hour later the three remaining men and sisters had brought Piper upstairs into her bed. Only Prue and Leo were with Piper. Though Piper wished to be alone with Prue, as Leo simply drove her crazy. much to surprise of everyone, Piper's labour proceed a lot more fast as Prue's and Piper was slowly getting in the last state of birth. After another contraction, Prue leaned down and whispered   
"I'm right back"  
into Piper's ear. Piper looked at her with a desperate look  
"I get Andy to get him out..."  
she whispered to Piper again. Finally Piper let her go and Prue disappeared outside. She leaned against the wall closing her eyes tightly. She wasn't sure if she could handle this.  
"You can do it"  
a male's voice answered her thoughts. A few seconds later a pair of strong arms wrapped around her tight and at the same way gentle. Prue smiled slightly and relaxed in her husband's arms   
"my mom said, that Piper was processing fast is simply normal... every birth's different"  
Prue nodded slightly  
"I don't think I can do it..."  
"Yes you can... you did it already once yourself..."  
"But I never helped... I don't know what to do in there..."  
"Then get your sisters... you four together know what to do... Cole and I can watch the kids... don't worry"  
"okay... umm… can you get Phoebe and Paige and then... you gotta do something to get Leo out of there or Piper will kill him soon..."  
"Okay... I try to think of something..."  
Andy said and pecked her forehead. Prue pulled away, kissed him lightly and then returned back into the room   
"Prue..."  
"I know... shshsh"  
Prue said and grabbed a cold cloth and placed it on her sister's forehead...   
"You need to breath, baby, breath"  
Leo told Piper, what caused piper to glare at her sister, just when Phoebe and Paige entered  
"Leo, Cole and Andy need you downstairs... it's something with Mags..."  
Phoebe said  
"what?"  
all three asked  
"she has such weird stomach aches... Andy doesn't want to bring her to the hospital"  
Paige answered. Prue's heart skipped a beat as she heard that. Piper got it and looked at Leo  
"go already, honey"  
"bu..."  
"You're the only doc of us... now go already"  
Phoebe insisted. Leo kissed piper and got up...  
"Prue... you coming?"  
"No!"   
Piper, Phoebe and Paige chimed  
"we... umm... need Prue here... and Mags has Andy..."  
Paige quickly covered  
"okay..."   
Leo said nodding and left the room...  
"Piper... I... I really love you but... I... Mags..."  
"Is fine"  
Phoebe told her...  
"What?"  
"I thought you told Andy to think of something"  
Paige asked with a sweet grin. Prue smiled slightly as Piper again cramped up... letting out a small scream   
"oh... oh"  
Prue made and paid her attention back on Piper   
"sweetie... I don't know how to breath anymore... show me"   
Prue told piper... who started to try to concentrate right away... and breathed. Prue smiled and breathed with her...  
"Good..."   
she said and Piper relaxed.  
"Okay... close your eyes... relax a little"  
Prue whispered and kissed her forehead gently...  
"You..."  
Phoebe and Paige nodded  
"we get it... take the lower part"  
Phoebe grinned. Prue smiled and helped piper sit up, so she could sit behind her sister, holding her from behind...  
"You okay?"  
"Will Leo return anytime soon?"  
"No"  
"then I'm okay"  
Piper said smiling, causing the sisters to laugh  
"okay, sweetie... stand your feet up... we gotta check how far you are"  
Phoebe told her and as they did so they looked at Prue with an uhoh face  
"what?"   
"We can see the hair already..."  
Paige told her. Prue looked at piper who started to obviously freak  
"hey, hey, hey... shshshs... Julia said, everything was okay... every birth's different... everything's okay..."  
Prue told her, crawling her face.

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

"I can't believe you guys did this! My wife's getting a baby up there"  
Leo yelled at them  
"yeah and you drive your wife crazy"  
Cole told him  
"Leo, sit down, calm down. Piper's alright. Prue also was better without me in the room... we men just seem to drive them crazy..."  
Andy told him sympathetically... 

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

Mags woke with Piper's screams across the garden and was automatically scared  
"Momi! Dadi!"  
she yelled jumping out of her bed, crying already waterfalls...

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

"Momi! Dadi!"  
Andy, Cole and Leo heard through the baby monitor   
"I'm going... you coming along with Anna?"  
Andy asked   
"sure"  
Cole answered, as Andy ran back to their house. He caught Meghan on the stairs  
"Dadi!"  
Mags cried into her father's chest  
"shshsh... it's only aunt Piper... she's getting your little cousin"  
Andy whispered, walking back down, carrying the still scared and crying Mags to the manor's solar, where Leo and Cole waited  
"shshshsh"

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

"Okay... Piper... some more... some more... some more!"  
Piper pushed some more and finally the baby was out, screaming right away its lungs out.  
"There she is"  
Prue whispered to piper and kissed her forehead gently...  
"Umm... people... you two seeing the same as we do?"  
Phoebe asked, holding the little baby up in her arms for her sisters to see. Prue blinked a few times, to make sure she saw right  
"if you are seeing this little something between 'her' legs... I see it"  
Prue answered. Piper starred at the little penis of her 'daughter'  
"I thought you said there SHE is"  
"well... because we thought it was a girl..."  
Prue argued...  
"Well... destiny seems to be able to change"  
Paige told them, before picking the baby from Phoebe to clean the baby boy and dress him up  
"congrats, sis"   
Phoebe said and hugged Piper   
"I'm gonna get the daddy..."  
Phoebe said, pulling away again and leaving the room 

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

Phoebe entered the solar  
"guess who just got born"  
"she there?"  
Leo asked, jumping of his seat  
"no"  
"what?"   
"He's..."  
"Which he?"  
"You have a son, stupid"  
Phoebe told him  
"what?"  
"It's a boy"   
Phoebe said, slowly running out of things to tell him  
"well... your guys destiny changed... Phoebe won't kill that baseball player anymore because she has Cole... Prue won't be alone anymore... cause she got me and the girls... and you and Piper probably won't get divorced cause you have a boy now... destiny changes... every move we make chances our destiny... we slowly should all know that"  
Andy said smiling slightly. Leo looked at him.  
"congrats, man"   
finally Leo smiled as well and started to go up the stairs

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

"Any idea for a name?"  
Prue whispered after Paige had placed the little baby boy in her arms. Piper glanced at her  
"other than Melinda? No!"  
both sisters started to laugh. 

**--------------------**

**AN:  
**sooo can one of you answer the question the name of the chapter keeps? I'm curious about your suggestions ;) who's got the right name, can wish for something!


	32. what did you do, man?

_**Different Paths Part 32:**  
_**What did you do, man?  
**

**--------------------**

Cole, Phoebe, Andy and the two girls still were in the solar when the doorbell rang

"Maggie… you going to Aunt Phoebe for a bit? "  
Andy asked Mags, who was almost asleep, laying on his chest...  
"No..."  
she whined.   
"It's okay, Andy... I can take it too..."  
"nah... it's okay... have to make up for the great kids rooms"  
Andy gave her a wink and smiled. He looked down at Mags and decided to just take his daughter along. He soon enough would want to turn back time and stay where he was. He went to the door and opened it.   
"Hello... is Prue Halliwell there?"  
a tall, black haired man asked.

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

Prue watched Piper, Leo and the baby for a while, and then decided to leave them alone. She carefully closed the door and went downstairs. Just as she was half way down the stairs, she saw how a man, which she recognized through the clothes as her husband, punching another someone, who stood on the front porch, right into the face. She took in a deep breath, closed her eyes and moved her hand to her face and hoped, the image was gone when she opened them again. She did and she really had seen right.  
"Oh my god!"  
she exclaimed as she was able to finally move again, especially with hearing Meghan's crying. Mags was the first to see Prue of the people standing at the porch  
"momi!"  
she yelled. She had been very scared because she never had seen her dad this way  
"It's okay..."   
Prue said before turning to the other man and without thinking picked her little girl up and rubbed her back. She looked with a quizzical face at Andy. Who repeated the look for a second longer, then started to back slowly off. She followed him for a few seconds with her eyes  
"Prue?"  
a muffled, somewhat familiar, voice which was filled with pain got Prue's attention. Finally she turned to the stranger who held his nose, which was bleeding like hell   
"bane?"  
Prue asked  
"hi..."  
"Oh my god... come in"  
Prue said stepping aside and closed the door after him   
"who was that freak... and did that girl just call you mommy?"   
"I... umm... he... she..."  
Prue let out an almost hysterical laugh. This was way too much for her to handle right now.   
"She... you... he... oh my god!"  
she said again, in search of something to sit down and then looked back at Meghan, who still was very scared  
"Phoebe!"  
she yelled. She needed to get rid of something... no matter if it was bane or Meghan... just something. She needed help. As fast as possible. Phoebe jogged to the entrance. Andy had acted weird when he returned and she knew there was something going on.  
"What?"  
she asked and then saw bane  
"bane?"  
"Uh... ya... um... Pheebs... can you... take Mags, please?"  
"Sure"  
Phoebe answered, both women moved to hand the girl over, but Mags clenched onto her mom. Prue looked back at bane  
"just a sec!"  
she told him and went back to the stairs. Finally being able to sit down. She sat down on the stairs and placed Meghan on her lap  
"shshshsh"  
Prue made trying her very best to calm her down. When she finally calmed Prue made Mags pull away a bit, so she could look at her. She started to remove the tears from her daughter's face  
"princess, please... everything's okay... you just go to Aunt Phoebe..."  
Mags started crying again and wrapped her arms back around Prue's neck  
"shshshs... princess, just for a second... I... have to care for that man's wound... like I always care for your wounds... he needs my help now..."  
she tried to tell her daughter trying to make her loose her grip on her  
"princess, I'm with you in a sec... I promise..."  
finally Mags let go and Phoebe picked her up  
"go... play something..."  
she told Mags smiling and then glanced at Phoebe  
"stay away from Andy with her..."  
Prue returned to bane  
"I'm... so, so... sorry..."  
"Did you just say Andy?"  
"This is a long story... and I'm... your nose... c'mon..."  
she said and grabbed his hand, taking him to the bathroom...

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

Prue cared for bane's nose  
"somewhat familiar, huh?"  
Prue couldn't help but smile...  
"Yeah... but that won't happen anymore..., bane... I told you about Andy..."  
"Yes... he was the love of your life who's supposed to be DEAD..."  
"Yeah well..."  
Prue started and sat down on the edge of the bathtub   
"the accentuation is on is supposed to... you know that in this house nothing is normal and nothing is supposed to... the girl you just said... is supposed to be dead as well... and so am I..."  
bane starred at her   
"Andy's my whitelighter... and... He saved me from dieing... without him I'd be dead..."  
"And he hit me?"  
"Yes..."   
"Because..."  
"Because of this…"  
Prue said and showed him her wedding ring  
"you're married..."  
"Yes... and when he was dead... he saw me with you... because he was watching me... and so he was watching us... and... I guess he was something like jealous or something... I'm sorry..."  
Prue said again   
"and that girl... is your guys' daughter?"  
"Yes... Meghan and Brianna are our daughters..."  
"You've got two?"   
"Yeah..."  
"Okay... Prue... I... actually... was..."   
"Here to come closer again?"  
"yes... and... No... But... now... this is very confusing, you know... plus... I probably have to get to the hospital... since like you before already said... it's probably broken"  
"I'm so sorry, bane..."  
"Yeah... sure... umm... can I call you?"  
"Yeah... sure... we can set a meeting... and... I can prepare Andy... and all..."  
"Right..."   
bane said and both got up, leaving the bathroom and Prue walked bane to the door...

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

Prue went to the solar and found a crying Ann there.  
"Aww you're hungry, huh?"  
she asked and picked Brianna from Cole. Andy looked at her.  
"Prue... "  
"I am not liking you very much at the moment"  
Prue told Andy, before he could say a word. She didn't even look at Andy. Then she started to go to the backyard to where Phoebe and Meghan were playing already. Cole stayed with Andy and looked at him  
"what did you do, man?" 

**--------------------**

**AN:  
**first of all I have to apologize, I put you waiting long, but I was out of city and away from pc... but here I am... all back ;) I Hope you liked this one. I couldn't wait for this chapter to finally be published... (or written) since I planned it already a while ;)

Well anyway... thanks for all those reviews... I love getting all of that attention and I'm glad so much people liked the last chapter...

Melinda prudence Halliwell: thanks for your review, I Hope you liked this one as well, despite the baby isn't exactly in it yet...

Peanut2lb: I don't know if it'll be an original name... but I do know... that no one will be expecting it... ;) thanks for your reviews!

Ruthy: you bad girl! You get no answer to that!

Faith Kingsley: I can say this much: it won't be Wyatt! ;) Hope I'll not keep you waiting this long now anymore...

PrUe AnD Andy: there you go...

Oooh and last but not least I have to say... I said I'd think about an about 10 chapter long very last part in the very future... and I guess the chance for that is very big... I played more with that thought and can't wait to write it... it'll be very dramatic.


	33. Is dadi go?

_**Different Paths Part 33:**  
_**Is dadi go?  
**

**--------------------**

**_Later that day:  
_**Andy was sitting at the edge of Meghan's bed, tucking her in  
"can momi tuck I in?"  
she asked  
"mommy's feeding Anna, princess"   
Andy told her. Meghan looked down and started playing with her hands. She still was scared from her dad and wanted him to go away.   
"You want me to read you a story"  
Andy asked, to kill the silence. Meghan shook her head. Prue stood in the doorway and watched. Andy leaned down and wanted to kiss Mags forehead gently, but she pulled away and hided under her cover. Prue saw everything and sighted. She felt bad for Andy. Andy looked down and swallowed hard  
"Andy... I don't get Anna to sleep... can you try?"   
she asked, entering the room  
"sure..."  
Andy said and looked once more back at Mags, who still hided. He passed Prue and went to the other room. Prue sat down on the edge of the bed. Mags still hided.  
"Is dadi go?"  
Prue sighted  
"yeah..."   
mags came out from under the cover  
"you reading I a story?"   
"why didn't you let daddy do that?"  
mags looked away   
"princess you don't have to be scared from daddy"  
"him hit te man wif no wison..."  
"daddy was very mad at that man"   
"will him hit me to?"  
Prue took a big breath, almost backing. She was shocked to hear that.  
"move over"  
Prue told her and then lied down next to her daughter hugging her tightly   
"can I ask you a question, princess?"  
Mags nodded   
"imagine... auntie Piper made cookies... and you ask me if you can have some... and since it's only a bit till it's time for lunch, I tell you to wait till after lunch. You run around the entire house and tell everyone... that those are your cookies and that you are the only one to eat them... and everyone promises you, not to eat one. You are very happy and we go to the dining and eat lunch. The cookies stay in the kitchen. Then Auntie Paige comes home from work... and she's starving... and she goes to the kitchen and sees the cookies. She's so hungry that she eats some of them, cause she doesn't know, they belong to you... then you return and see how auntie Paige eats the last of your cookies... how'd you feel?"   
"me was mad"  
Mags said lowly  
"vewy mad"  
she added  
"but... you also would know, that auntie Paige didn't know that they were yours... and that she's kinda innocent in this... would you?"  
Mags nodded. Prue smiled a little  
"with daddy it's same... just that this man stole something much more precious of him than just cookies..."  
Meghan turned around and looked at her mom  
"weali?"  
"uh hum"  
"wat?"   
"me..."  
"you?"  
"uh hum... you remember how it was when daddy left me and your aunts to live with you?"  
Mags nodded  
"he was gone. For me... and then he watched me and that man, bane... making things... only daddy and I normally do... and daddy got very, very mad at him... when he saw that... just like you would be on aunt Paige... but... daddy was with you... and so he couldn't tell him how mad he was. And then you and him returned and daddy and I did those things alone again... and everything was okay... and then daddy today saw bane... and he was very, very, very mad at him..."  
"and tat was wi dadi hit te man?"  
"uh hum..."  
"and dadi was nevew hit i?"  
"no, daddy will never hit you. I promise."  
"I loves you, momi"  
"I love you, too"  
Prue said and pecked her daughter's lips. Andy had returned to the door when he saw Ann was already deep asleep. He entered Meghan's room again  
"Ann's asleep"  
he said short and cold, then turned again to go to bed himself...  
"dadi?"   
Mags asked in a small voice  
"yeah?"  
Andy said, turning just slightly  
"you was read I a story?"  
Mags asked. Prue smiled. She was very proud on her daughter. Andy hesitated for a second. Meghan had hurt him with what she said and did before. Finally he turned completely around and nodded slightly. Prue held tightly onto Meghan and rolled over. So Prue was laying with her back on the wall and Meghan on the edge... closer to Andy. She still kept hugging Mags. Prue watched Andy sitting down. She didn't look him in the eyes ever since the scene back on the door. Now she did. Andy looked away and then down at the story book to start reading. When the story ended, Andy wanted to get up and leave, but Mags freed herself from her mom's hug and hugged him surprisingly very tightly.  
"Loves you"  
Mags said. Andy at first looked pretty scared and kinda shocked; like her touch would hurt him, but when he heard Meghan he relaxed and hugged her back. Prue smiled. She knew it was time to leave them alone. She got up and left Meghan's room and went downstairs to the family, to wrap herself into some blankets and watch some more TV. Andy kept hugging Meghan for several more minutes and then pulled away  
"okay... time for bed now"  
he whispered  
"c'mon. Lay down"   
Meghan rubbed her eyes and did as her dad told her. Andy covered her up and smiled at her once more  
"sweet dreams, princess"   
Meghan stretched her arms out again. She had missed her dad. Andy hugged Meghan again and then kissed her forehead  
"I'll leave the light in the hall on, okay?"  
Mags nodded  
"night"   
"nite"  
Meghan said while yawning. Andy got up and left the room. Leaving the door a bit open

**--------------------**

**AN:  
**Faith Kingsley: thanxs... and don't forget there's still something going on with Phoebe and Cole ;)

Peanut2lb: thank you! I laughed so ahrd when ic ame up with this ;)

Ruthy: why should Andy be scared? he was just jelouzs and an asswhoel for about 10 minutes... ;)

PrUe AnD Andy: you'll be surprised...


	34. Reconciliation

_**Different Paths Part 34:**  
_**Reconciliation****  
**

**--------------------**

Andy left the room and smiled slightly. He looked around for a sign of Prue and there was nothing. Andy sighted.  
'She's probably already asleep'  
he thought and started to go downstairs to watch some more TV. He found Prue in the family as well. She didn't look up at him as he entered. He went up to her and tried to kiss her temple, but Prue moved away. He sighted and sat down beside her   
"thank you"  
he told her. Prue again didn't react.  
"Can we please talk?"  
Prue looked down at the controller in her hands and then pressed the button to turn the TV off  
"if you are so mad at me, then why did you defend me in front of Mags?"   
"There are several reasons why I'm not mad... and also a whole lot more why I am... first of all... Mags shouldn't be afraid of her dad... second of all... our daughters shouldn't learn that violence is the solution to their anger... third... how can you hit someone... who actually didn't do anything at all... fourth... why did you tell me you were okay with... this affair between me and him... and then hit him? Fifth... I never believed you even could be this way...e specially not with our daughter in your arms and this scares me a little as well... you hit someone with our daughter on your arm? Last but not least... it's somewhat really cute... that you hit him... a... real idiotic proof of your love, but it was one"   
Prue told him. Andy looked down and smiled slightly  
"I don't know what to say... I... freaked... I... this caught me so off guard... I saw him... and then you two... and... I was afraid... I'd loose you…"  
"How can you even think of something like that? Don't you remember what I told you on our wedding day? A ring, a symbol of our love will be shining on my hand. It'll tell everyone who I belong to. For eternity. Or like you said it: Forever and for always. Or like the song of our first dance as a married couple said... I will always love you"  
Prue told him and finally, after hours of ignorance looked at him. Andy repeated the look for several seconds, but then looked down at his hands. He was playing kinda nervously with them  
"I was and idiot... and an asswhole... I know that... I don't know how this could happen... I simply didn't think... it was... like I just had to do it... I'm seriously sorry..."  
"You shouldn't tell that me... but bane"  
Prue told him gently. She was mad at him. but this all made her think of a little boy, who did something really bad and now begged for pardon with his mom and just needed some lovely words  
"I know... I really do... how you feel... how do you think... I... felt... when I had to meet your ex wife..."  
Andy looked even more down as she placed her hand on his. Andy looked back at her face. Her hands were freezing cold. Her eyes were glassy. She seemed small and somewhat ill  
"remember...when you returned here and it was my birthday... when I came into quake and found you with her?"   
"Yeah..."  
"I love you... you're my man... nothing will ever change that, understand?"  
"Yeah"  
Andy said as he looked down again. Prue smiled slightly  
"now... could you finally kiss me, stupid"  
she asked and a small smile appeared on his face as he looked back at her. He placed a hand on her cheek and then kissed her gently. But pulled away not long after  
"you feel a little hot..."  
he commented and wanted to move his hand to her forehead, but Prue again moved away...  
"I'm okay... just... has been a little too much these days... the surprise with the house... sex... Chris... bane..."  
Prue said. Andy simply looked confused  
"oh right... you didn't get that thing, because you were hiding in your office... Piper and Leo are going to call the baby after Leo's dad... Christopher"  
"ooh"  
Prue smiled as Andy kissed her again  
"we need another baby so we can name it after your mom..."  
Andy said smiling. Prue shook her head  
"I'd never call our children Patricia... I guess... I'd be way too scared... about her dieing young..."  
Andy just wrapped his arms around her. Prue was almost fully cradled in his arms. Her head lay on his chest, the forehead right under his chin. Prue smiled kinda happily as she closed her eyes. Andy felt her hot skin on his and the ice cold hands in his, which left him off somewhat worried  
"I better bring you upstairs..."  
"Andy... I'm okay... really..."  
"Yeah... I know... you always say that..."  
Prue smiled slightly. He knew her too well. she just gave in and so Andy turned off the light and orbed them upstairs. after they had changed for bed he covered Prue with an extra blanket before again wrapping his arms around her as they both went to sleep.


	35. A special ring to a special event

_**Different Paths Part 35:**  
_**A**** special ring... to a special event  
**

**--------------------**

**_Months later:  
_**Prue, Piper, Phoebe and Paige where all together sitting in a café in the city of San Francisco   
"ahhh... getting out once more is wonderful"  
Paige announced, stretching in her chair  
"yeah... shopping with sisters always was, is and will be the best shopping"  
Phoebe added. Prue laughed  
"I don't think Piper's your guys' mind"  
she told her younger sisters  
"yeah... I'm just... worried... Leo never was all alone with Chris..."  
"He's not all alone"  
Paige corrected  
"yeah... Andy's with him and he knows what to do... he was already a lot all alone with the girls..."  
Phoebe added again  
"you two don't understand this... a mother will always worry... even though they know, the kids are in good hands... I'm still somewhat nervous too"  
"you two are simply too overprotective"  
Phoebe judged  
"riiight... we'll see about that as soon as your first kid is there, Pheebs"   
Piper told her. Phoebe didn't answer. She just looked away while playing under the table with a ring on her finger  
"wow... it almost seems like Piper hit a nerve there"  
Prue said, reading her sister  
"what? You're..."  
"What am I? Oh goodness... no! Never! I don't even know if I want kids with Cole... I mean... little half demons running around the house... what a fun... and I guess that's also that nerve you were talking about... you and piper look so happy with your children... with your little angels... while I'm not even sure... if I want those little demons"  
"oh Pheebs don't exaggerate"  
Piper told her   
"yeah... you probably never heard Anna when she has her five minutes... and Mags... can be very annoying and moody as well..."   
"and Chris is a crying kid... as stupid as it sounds... but... there are nights I barely get sleep, cause he's not stopping to cry... god... and I just leave Leo alone with him"  
Piper said   
"whoa... could you three stop there? We agreed on having a sister day... not a ... my child is worse than yours day... or... our poor husbands, boyfriends whatever day"  
Paige told them   
"okay... then tell us, sis... what's wrong with you?"   
"With me? Nothing's wrong... what should be wrong with me?"   
"Well... we didn't see Alex in a while now"  
Piper said carefully  
"that's cause... I broke up with him..."  
"You did? Why? He seemed nice"  
Prue said  
"seems is the right word... he has a wife..."  
"Oh my goodness"  
Piper exclaimed. Phoebe again looked down. This secret was eating her up. She hated having secrets from her sisters and it was now almost two months she has been hiding. But she couldn't tell them now. She wanted to tell them with Cole being there. The waiter returned to their table and brought their drinks. Paige started to flirt with him right away and as he left again, checked out his butt.  
"You just checked his butt!"  
Prue told her  
"so? This is a free land"  
Paige declared, causing the sisters to laugh. Phoebe didn't. She still starred at the card and the sugar spender in the middle of the table. She then unconsciously grabbed for her mug. Without even thinking she extended her left hand. One sister after the other of slowly stopped laughing, seeing this little something on Phoebe's ring finger. Phoebe awoke from her trance as she noticed her sister starring at her. She followed their gazes and saw her left hand revealed free, as it was wrapped around the mug. Phoebe fast passed the mug onto her right hand and hid the left again. She took a sip of the mug and then looked up at her sisters  
"Phoebe... is that ring new?"  
Prue was the first one to ask  
"umm"   
Phoebe took a big breath. She didn't know what to say.  
"Yes... Cole... gave it to me... a while ago"  
"when?"  
Paige asked  
"umm... just... a while ago..."  
Phoebe stammered   
"you're engaged and didn't tell us?"  
Piper questioned. Phoebe swallowed hard. They had somewhat caught her. But she could still keep the secret or could she? Phoebe then laughed   
"no... No! Cole just... gave me a ring... as surprise... to a special date... nothing more..."  
Prue had a weird feeling in her stomach  
"what special date"  
she asked. Phoebe couldn't help but bite her lip. She couldn't lie to her sisters while looking them into the eyes  
"our... wedding day"  
she finally answered and then closed her eyes tightly. Phoebe awaited the storm of evil words and stuff like that, but there was nothing. She opened her eyes slowly again  
"you... you married... without... "  
"... without us?"  
Paige finished for Piper  
"look... guys... everything... was so messed up lately... you guys were permanently busy... we were engaged already... a few days before Chris was born... and we wanted to tell you... at the barbecue... all together... but... then Piper got Chris... and... afterwards... we never were all together... and... then... Cole and I... I don't know... I was... so desperate and sad...that you guys wouldn't care about me... I mean... you didn't notice for months I'm with any ring... and... Cole... said... he'd be always there for me and... and then we... we ended up in Vegas... and before I could think again... we were married..."  
Phoebe told them...  
"I'm sorry"  
she added lowly, looking down again. Suddenly she felt a pair of arms around her. She looked up to find it was Prue. She was surprised. She thought her oldest sister was the least happy about this, as she never had liked Cole.  
"You shouldn't be sorry... you married the man you love... that's what counts... plus... we should be sorry... too busy to notice you and Cole wearing rings... I mean... c'mon"  
Prue said and pulled away again   
"congratulations"  
she said smiling proudly. The other two followed  
"okay... we... then should make a party for you and Cole... I mean... when we're already not able to be there at the wedding... you should have a party... you deserve one..."  
Paige told her  
"yeah... I'll set p3"  
Piper added as Phoebe's smile grew and grew with every minute.  
"Well... then we shouldn't stay sitting here... we need party dresses, ladies"   
Prue said smirking  
"yeah and Pheebs needs a cool sweet white one..."  
Paige added  
"all cliché" Piper threw in as well. Phoebe couldn't help but laugh  
"okay... if you guys say so"  
she told them as they chatted on...


	36. Things are getting seriously weird

_**Different Paths Part 36:**  
_**Things are getting seriously weird  
**

**--------------------**

**_Prue got out of her car and went up the stairs to her and Andy's house. She entered and, like she always did, hang up the keys to the board and put her purse down. She smiled as she saw, Andy's stuff was there already as well.  
"I'm home! Andy! Girls! Mommy's back!"  
she yelled and then saw some long hair which was coming from the kitchen, laying on the floor. Prue froze. She went towards it and the closer she came, the more she saw of Phoebe's face. Prue snapped for air, seeing her little sister lay there not moving one inch. A flashback from the time, Phoebe and her where alone against that Jackson Ward, came to her mind. She leaned down and tested her vital signs. Nothing. Phoebe was dead.  
"Piper! Paige!"  
she yelled but didn't get any response  
"Andy!"  
she asked frantically as she got up again. She slowly moved towards the living and froze dead in her tracks as she found Piper, Leo, Cole and Paige there. All of their heads were separated from their bodies. The living 'decorated' witht he body parts. Prue put her hand to her face. She couldn't stand the sight. She was getting terribly sick and desperately searched for some fresh air. The backyard! She darted forward and ran outside, just to find an even more horrible sight as she saw her girls and Andy laying in the backyard as well. The sand of the sandbox was soaking with her children's blood. The sight was remembering her on the soaking bed sheets, there where the night she miscarried Meghan. From the corner of her eyes she saw Andy laying there. She looked over to him, tears in her eyes and saw how he had a huge wound on his chest. She starred at his body and couldn't understand it. A flashback of her seeing Andy's corpse for the first time came to her mind. She turned around. She couldn't see the sight anymore, but instead saw a close tree 'decorated' with human hearts. The hearts of Andy and her girls._**

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

Heavily breathing, Prue shrugged up in her bed.  
"No!"  
she said, panicking from all those images. Tears were rolling down her cheeks, as she was snapping for air. She has had these nightmares now for weeks and they were getting worse. They all had two things in common: something always happened to her girls, sisters, brothers in law, Andy or even herself and... Prue never was able to prevent it. Andy woke from Prue's reaction and saw in what a state she was, again.   
"Prue? Prue... what is it?"  
he asked, his arms around her immediately.  
"Nothing!"  
Prue shot out a little too fast and then got up  
"I'm... I'm gonna go... check on the girls"   
she said as she got her bathrobe.  
"Prue..."  
Andy tried to get her to talk, but Prue ignored him and walked out of the room. She leaned onto the closed bedroom-door and closed her eyes tightly. Taking a few calming breathes. She then continued to her daughters' rooms. She opened the door of Anna and got inside. She smiled seeing her youngest sleeping peacefully in her bed. She went up to her bed and gently covered her back up, then kissed her forehead and went through their bathroom to Meghan's. She got in and froze as she saw Meghan tossing in her sleep as well  
"no... No!"  
the little one yelped. Prue couldn't move anymore. What if her daughter was seeing the same horrible things as she saw the last nights?  
"No! no medicine... mommy... I... I'm fine..."   
Prue relaxed, smiling a little. She went over to the bed and sat down on it  
"Maggie"  
she called gently, waking her daughter. Mags woke up and looked up  
"momm..."  
"Shshs... just go back to sleep..."  
Prue whispered and started to crawl her hair. Meghan snuggled into Prue, but pulled back after just a second  
"mommy... you're wet... and smelly!"  
Meghan complained. Prue only then noticed her night-dress was soaking wet from sweating and tossing about her nightmare.  
"Yeah... you're right."  
Prue said sighting and kissed her forehead  
"sweet dreams"  
she whispered and got up again  
"mommy..."   
"Yeah?"  
"I love you"  
"love you too"  
Prue answered and then left the room again.  
"Everything's okay. The girls are okay. Andy's okay... calm down, Prue... it's alright."  
She told herself. And then started to go through to their bathroom. She turned on the heater blower. Then turned on the shower and got undressed.

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

Andy was waiting for Prue. He needed to talk to her. This was going on for weeks now. They seriously had to talk about this.  
_'maybe this has something to do with... this special day... it's coming closer... and it seems like things get worse with Prue night by night... every night approaching that day this is getting more extreme...'  
_Andy thought. He looked at the bathroom door as he heard something moving inside.  
"c'mon... come here... talk to me"  
he said lowly, wanting Prue to come through that door. But nothing happened. Instead he heard the shower starting to run and how Prue got in. Andy sighted. He turned the lamb on his nightstand on and waited for Prue to return. He glanced at his alarm clock. 3 a.m..

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

Half an hour later Prue got out of the shower again and wrapped the towel around her body. She took a big breath before going back to their bedroom. She swallowed as she saw the light being turned on. Andy waited for her. she didn't look up at him.  
_'No... Please not' _  
she thought and went straight to their closet and changed into another nightgown. Then went back to the bedroom again and looked at Andy. He was deep asleep. Prue smiled a little and walked over to him. She covered him up and turned the light off. She fastened her bathrobe around herself and then astral projected herself to attic of the manor. She used her more advanced powers to disappear in the bedroom and reappear completely in the attic. 

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

Andy woke up again. He opened his eyes and looked around. Prue wasn't there. The light was turned off. He glanced back at his alarm clock again. 5 a.m..  
_'damn! I fell asleep!'  
_He rubbed his eyes a little and got up. He grabbed a t-shirt and put it on while wandering downstairs. The kitchen was lightened and so he went towards it. He found Prue in the kitchen. She was sitting, completely dressed in a chair, a mug filled with coffee in her right hand and starring out of the window  
"Prue..."  
he said, waking her from her day dreams. Prue shrugged together and looked up at him, scared. She fats looked away again. She didn't want him to see, she was scared.  
"Oh... hey..."  
Andy looked at her concerned and leaned down to kiss her  
"good that you're here... I... didn't want to wake you... "  
Prue started and at the same time moved away from him, so he couldn't kiss her  
"... but... I need to head off... I have a photo shooting today... it's in..."   
Prue quickly thought for a place  
"LA... so I need to head off now..."  
"What? Prue... you never..."  
"Told you about it? Yeah... I forgot..."  
Prue said laughing falsely.  
"I only... noticed... last night... I wanted to grab myself something to drink after I checked on the girls... and then... accidentally looked on the calendar... and noticed it was already the 6th... I thought it was only in September... but then..."  
Prue said and got up, smiling at him  
"Prue..."  
Andy tried to come through to her, again. He knew she lied. He knew this all was a lie. And he knew, that they both knew, what a day today was.  
"Andy... I... don't have time right now... I gotta go..."  
she said and pecked him fast before disappearing out of the front door... there she stood. Her body pressed tightly against their front door closing her eyes tightly. She had worried her family the last weeks enough. It was time to solve some things. She opened her eyes and looked at her car, then headed down the steps and got into the car, before speeding off.

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

Andy looked blankly at the closed door.  
"I wished you'd talk to me..."  
he whispered

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

3 hours later Andy went to the manor with Brianna and Meghan in tow. Brianna was by now one and a half year old and was slowly getting her profession in walking. It was cute to watch the toddler walk all the way to the manor almost on her own, only held by her bigger sister. Andy smiled at them and followed behind them... watching his smaller daughter's every step, careful so she wouldn't fall. Finally at the manor he opened the door for them and found everyone else already sitting on the breakfast table  
"morning"  
he greeted   
"heey..."  
Piper said smiling as she fed Chris. Phoebe rose from her position on the table and walked towards the girls   
"wow... did you walk all the way on your own, Anna?"  
she asked and picked her up  
"no... I helped her!"  
Meghan said. Andy couldn't help but smile a little  
"Prue left this morning for a photo shooting in LA... so we thought we'd breakfast with you guys"  
"she did? I didn't know about something like that..."  
Paige commented  
"well... neither did I... she said she only remembered when she by accident looked onto the calendar when she was up getting herself something to drink last night"  
Andy told them  
"umm... Cole... why don't you take Maggie, Anna and Chris to the bathroom and wash their hands"  
Piper suggested, as he was the only man still there to get the girls distracted  
"sure"  
Cole answered and picked Chris out of his high chair and then took Anna's hand, just to make sure...   
"c'mon Mags"  
Cole said, but she didn't move one inch   
"Mags..."  
"you just try to send us away..."  
Andy let out a breath. Meghan was now almost 5 and not as easy to get 'rid' off like her sister  
"princess we talk later, I promise, okay?"  
Andy asked, kneeling down in front of her   
"when later? Later you'll work!"  
"After I pick you at kindergarten we can go to get some ice cream, if you want"  
"only you and me?"  
"Only you and me"  
Andy confirmed   
"okay..."  
Meghan said nodding and followed her uncle out of the kitchen  
"okay... what's wrong... spill..."  
Phoebe told him  
"I'm not quite sure if something's wrong... but... Prue..."  
"... has been acting weird lately"  
Paige finished for him  
"you should have seen her this morning... first... I see her waking from another nightmare... and then... she... searched for excuses... and how to get away... before I could say I love you... she was out of the door... I don't know... at first I thought it'd gonna change… that she just had a bad mood or something… that she'd talk to me at some point... but it has been weeks now... and it's not getting better but worse..."  
the other two sisters nodded their heads  
"yeah... We noticed it as well..."  
Piper answered sitting down again  
"and talked about it"  
Paige added  
"and what did you come up with?"   
"That Prue maaaybe... tries to hide something..."  
Phoebe told him. Andy closed his eyes...  
"You guys... don't think she's..."  
"No! Why should she? She loves you and the girls more than anything... no... Not at all..."  
"But then... what is it..."  
"She looked exhausted lately"  
Phoebe said quietly  
"she had nightmares... every night..."  
Andy answered  
"You think it's something like on my wedding?"   
Piper questioned, following Phoebe's thoughts  
"who knows"   
Phoebe answered  
"then maybe not she is cheating on me but her subconscious?"  
Andy asked...  
"We don't know that, Andy..."  
"what if I know? I man... if this is something like on Piper's wedding... then I know why she would betray me..."   
"and that would be?"  
"it's the day of my death..."  
everyone starred for a few minutes at Andy, then looked awkward down.  
"i... I'm sure... it's got nothing to do with that, Andy... but... was one of you last night on the book of shadows?"  
"nope... why?"  
"Didn't you hear someone up in the attic last night?"  
"yeah you're right..."  
"you think it was Prue?"  
Andy asked...  
"Maybe we should scry for her..."  
Paige suggested  
"you... do what you have to... I... gotta go... can one of you..."  
"Sure... I and Cole will bring her"  
Phoebe answered him  
"and I'll watch Anna..."   
Piper chimed in  
"so I'm left over to go haunt Prue..."   
Paige nodded  
"thank you, guys..."  
"You're welcome..."  
all three said at once. Andy smiled and went back to the house and then out of it, just to get into his car and drove to work

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

Prue in the meantime was nothing like near to LA. She had been driving around the city for hours and now, that it was 8 am, she stood in front of an apartment, a bag in her hand. A man opened the door   
"Prue?"  
"I need your help..."  
she whispered...


	37. i need your help ,,, daddy

_**Different Paths Part 37:**  
_**I need your help... daddy  
**

**--------------------**

"I need your help… daddy"  
Prue whispered in a desperate voice. Her cheeks and eyes were red from crying and all the sleepless nights of the past few weeks. Victor didn't think twice. He immediately hugged his daughter  
"hey... shshshshs..."  
he whispered as tears again spilled from her eyes. When Prue seemed to have calmed down, Victor pulled away, put an arm around her and lead her inside his apartment. He took her bag from her and made her sit down  
"I'll make you some tea..."  
he said in a gentle voice and then walked back to his little kitchen, at the same time grabbing his ceil to call his office

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

10 minutes later Victor was returning with a can of tea and two mugs for them  
"what's wrong, sweetie?"  
he asked gently after he handed her one of the mugs he had filled with tea  
"things... hunt me lately... not... physically... not demons... not... real demons... more psychologically... I... found a spell... in the book... that might helps me... but... there stood... it can take hours... and that I need to be safe"  
she told him... not looking at him  
"wait... you're gonna use magic on yourself? Prue... I don't know..."  
"Dad... please"  
Prue said and finally looked into his eyes with her own red and swollen eyes   
"I need your help... I... don't... wanna bother... Piper... she's already busy with Chris... and... Phoebe and Cole... are... they're still somewhat in honeymoon... and... I don't wanna ask Paige to... lie to them for me... and... It's... somewhat about Andy... so... please dad... you're the only one to help me this time..."  
Victor swallowed. Prue looked exhausted, ill, desperate, scared and a whole lot more. He slowly nodded  
"okay... what am I gonna do?"  
"I'm... not sure... what's gonna happen"  
Prue said and sniffled a little...  
"Just... watch... watch me... make sure I'm... okay..."  
she answered... Victor nodded and so did Prue. She drank her mug empty and then started to make a potion  
"can I... somehow help you?"   
Victor asked, stepping up next to his daughter in the kitchen. Prue shook her head  
"no... You're already doing enough"   
she answered him, smiling bravely at him. Victor just kissed her temple tenderly. He was worried about Prue. Especially because she didn't exactly tell him, what hunted her. On the other hand he thought it might be better if he didn't know. 

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

Prue was now sitting on Victor's bed  
"please be careful, okay?"   
Prue nodded silently and opened the little piece of paper

_Let the truth be told,  
Let my live unfold,  
So I can relive moments  
And let these nightmares finally find their ends_

Prue read allowed and then drank some of the potion. she struggled to fall, but in the end fell unconscious onto the bed  
"Prue!"   
Victor yelped, darting forward, but a golden glow was now surrounding Prue. The golden glow shocked Victor back. He swallowed hard and looked at Prue's face. Then suddenly she started to lift from the bed and float a few inches over the bed. The golden glow still around her.  
"I just Hope you know what you are doing..."   
Victor whispered...

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

Paige had scried for Prue on several maps. First of all she took a world card. The crystal ended on America. She then grabbed a card of the US and scried there. The crystal went to California. Paige screwed her face and also printed a card from California and started to scry again. She swallowed as the crystal flew straight onto San Francisco.   
"So much to LA, missy"  
Paige whispered. She again got onto Phoebe's computer and searched for a card of San Francisco. Finally she found a card with districts of San Francisco. She again scried and ended up on Hayes Valley  
"oookay... now it's getting interesting"  
Paige mumbled. She got another map and again scried, landing on Sheridan Street 18.  
"Gotcha!"  
Paige said happily as she heard the door close  
"we're back!"   
Phoebe yelled  
"Pheebs! Can you come here a sec?"  
Paige yelled. Phoebe pulled Cole along to the solar  
"what's wrong?"   
"I found Prue. She's here in San Francisco... in..."  
Paige glanced down at the map again  
"Sheridan Street 18"  
"what?"   
Phoebe asked, recognizing the street immediately.  
"You sure?"  
she asked and picked the crystal, scrying on her own once more. Again the crystal landed on that address  
"Pheebs... what's with that address?"  
"Dad lives there"  
Phoebe mumbled.  
"Well... what are we waiting for?"  
Paige asked   
"no... We need to get piper and... Andy... it's his right to come along..."  
"I get him"  
Cole offered  
"thanks honey" Phoebe said smiling and kissed him  
"meet you at dad's"   
she told him and Cole just nodded before he shimmered out…  
"let's get Piper"


	38. 1971

_**Different Paths Part 38:**  
_**1971  
**

**--------------------**

Okay, just a tiny explanation to this quest, as I will call it. This quest is a mixture of the vision quest Phoebe had in s6 and this memory thing of piper and Leo in cat house... Prue be three times there, once in her quest (psychical Prue), once in another state of her life Prue who she'll be watching (version Prue), and once in reality (physical Prue). The psychical Prue will be written in bold, the other version of Prue in impact and the physical Prue in normal letters. It seriously sounds more complicated than this all is.

It's like Prue is sitting on a cloud and Prue watches what's happening, so she's not invisible walking around in the scene going on (like Leo did on his quest in s7)... she won't have a guide (like Phoebe with the wolf or Leo with his special buddy)... she's not, herself... (like in season two, where they visited their future) buuut, the things we and she will see will affect the real Prue and help her solve her issues, if it's really only issues ;) and with this last statement, it's also clear, that the Prue floating on the bed, will react in every way, we watchers might as well.  
last but not least: this story and also this chapter is based on the birthday of Prue of 28th October 1971  
considering, that I have 9 stations Prue will have to visit, I reconsidered the idea of ending at chapter 40 and now will have 50 chapters, so in total, all 5 parts together will be, yes you shouldn't believe it, 250... This matches better into the concept, than my original idea on packing all 9 stations into one chapter, which would be, in my opinion a bit too much.  
Now don't go jumping from your chairs... till this quest thing will be through... it'll still need a while. I have planned since my last update every little detail of this big showdown I'm about to prepare, buuuut, it's not written and when I write... I do it in school... when I'm completely bored, which is very dangerous.   
Okay, after all this babbling (wow already ¼ of a page!)I'm not longer gonna tantalize you... and finally give you what you waited for so long already... 

**--------------------**

**Prue's surrounded by fogs and clouds. She sat on the swing Andy and her shared as their secret for ages already. Slowly the clouds cleared and finally she found Patty standing in the kitchen. She's eating some tuna sandwich, mixed with marmalade which she's fishing with a spoon out of a glass. Prue screwed her face  
"ewww"  
she commented, not understanding how her mother could or better would eat such a thing**

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

Prue messed her face, moving her lips slightly. Victor looked concerned at her, not sure if she tried to tell him something  
"honey, you have to speak louder"  
he told her, again attempting to take her hand, but again, an electric shield blocked his hand away. 

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

**Prue looked closer and only then noticed, that her mother was fat. Really fat! Looking closer Prue noticed Patty is pregnant. Prue smiled slightly. She now remembered what disgusting things she used to eat, when she was pregnant with Anna. She then froze for a second. Was this what kept her awake the past weeks... kept hunting her? Was she pregnant again? She looked down at her belly... and unconsciously moved her hand to her belly, then tried to remember her last period... they didn't do it after her last period, so Prue shook that thought fast off again and continued to look at the scene. She now tried to make out, which pregnancy it could have been, after all her mother had been four times pregnant. Then her grandmother entered the kitchen and pecked Patty on her temple... **

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

"_Goddess... I used to eat that permanently when I was pregnant with you."  
She commented...  
"Well then maybe she'll be coming after her mommy..."  
"Hopefully"  
Penny mumbled  
"excuse me?"   
Patty asked  
"nothing..."  
"I heard you very well, mother... why can't you stop picking on Victor?"  
"Cause he's not good for you."  
"He's giving me everything I want and need. I don't necessarily need a magical man at my side. Not if I'm very happy with the man I have. I'm glad, he's not magical. There's enough magic in our life already. And last but not least… we're a family now."  
Patty said and crawled her stomach   
"yeah, as much as I hate to admit it, but once, just this once he succeeded in doing something good"  
Patty's smile grew as she heard her mother and then felt the soft kick of her daughter.   
"we should just hope, he'll continue to do the right thing... and will end the family planning after this one... you know what the prophecy says..."_

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

"**prophecy? Prophecy about what?"  
Prue asked.**

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

"Prophecy..."   
Prue mumbled

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

_Patty looked away  
"why do we have to be so cursed?"  
"We're not cursed, Patty... the first child to be a sibling in this blood line will be cursed... and you're still my only child"  
she said smiling and pushed some hair out of Patty's face_

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

**Prue sat up a bit more. It was getting interesting.  
"Are they seriously talking about me?"  
she asked confused**

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

"_Can't we... come around that somehow... with like... binding her powers... I mean... Victor and I want a family... a big family..."  
"I don't know, darling... better don't risk it..."  
Penny said in a gentle voice  
"well anyway, I gotta go... Gail's waiting for me already. Victor should be home soon... you gonna be okay for a while? All alone?"  
"Yes, mom..."  
"Patricia... don't give me this voice"  
"I'm sorry mom... but... you seriously pack me into cotton. Nothing is gonna happen to me and our little..."   
"Pruedence..."  
Penny said  
"mooom... don't start again. If Victor doesn't like Pruedence, we won't name his daughter Pruedence, end of story."  
"This name has a tradition in this family. He can't refuse such things..." Penny told Patty   
"another reason, why he's just not the right man for you..."   
"I thought you wanted to leave, mom"  
Patty just told her and smiled slightly.  
"Ooh right..."  
Penny mumbled as she starred at the clock  
"damn, I'm late"  
she commented and then collected her things just to leave. _

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

**Prue smirked... it was hilarious how Patty maneuvered right through her grandmother's arguments. Piper definitely had that from her. She let out a small laugh and shook her head**

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

Victor watched as Prue started to smile  
"dad doesn't like my name..."  
she mumbled. Victor looked shocked at Prue. How could she know, he always used to be against Pruedence?  
"I'm not!"   
he protested, pouting slightly. Even thought he guessed Prue anyway didn't see or hear him, he just felt, like he should defend himself.

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

**Prue started to become slightly confused, what was there more to see? The scene didn't change. Her mother was alone. She anyway continued to watch and then saw how her mother fished a small calendar, with a billion of crosses and one pink painted day, on it out of her bag.**

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

"_Only two more months, baby girl, and you still don't have a name..."   
she said sighting._

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

Prue heard her mom and then looked at the small calendar as her mother made a cross at the day, she supposed was 'today'. It was 6th October 1971. Prue automatically froze in her tracks and her smile disappeared as she swallowed hard. 6th October... the date Andy had died back in 1999. Just as Prue had realized this date the clouds started to block her view, like in the theater when the scene changed.


	39. 1975

_**Different Paths Part 39:**  
_**1975  
**

**--------------------**

Okay, just so you people know, I always thought there was a little blooper on how and when Victor left in charmed. There's the version of Victor leaving in 1x17 aaand the thing in 3x10 with the ice cream truck. In 1x17 Prue was actually about... 4 (if Phoebe is really born 75, 4 years after Prue). It's said that Victor left Patty right after Phoebe was conceived. And in 3x10... she's like 6 or 8 (appearance of the 'actress') and Victor is still there. So just to order things: here it'll be a bit different. Patty and Victor will be together, till Victor noticed the obvious: Patty is pregnant with Paige, so she betrayed him. They then split, but Victor stays at the house, at least they both agreed so, to have the girls have a normal family. Naturally, Victor would have a kind of separated room in like basement and also naturally, he'll be a lot gone, cause of business and maybe also in certain ways cause of patty and the pain he suffered with her betraying him. So the final time when he's leaving will be after the episode of 3x10. The ice cream truck. So, please don't think I just ignore 1x17. I know what facts are shown in that episode, but at the moment the 3x10 version just simply matches a whole lot better to the series (in 1x03 that theory is in as well, I mean, Victor is shown there with all three girls under the Christmas tree).

Last but not least to add a bit of Paige and victor: I know I wrote in some earlier chapter, that Victor didn't know about her, but I thought it more like... Victor though she was dead. Right after they split, Patty and Victor probably didn't talk much and when the kid suddenly just disappears and Patty is breaking completely down, it's the only reasonable reaction; he thought she lost the baby. After all Victor's not a big fan of magic, neither does he know much about it. So he wouldn't know Patty and Sam weren't allowed to be together. Especially because he thought they were hiding because of him. Sooo there goes the background, I thought of for the next two chapters...

**--------------------**

**A few seconds later the sight cleared again. She found the manor empty, or was it? Slowly she followed someone's step and then saw her grandmother in Prue and Piper's room. She covered Piper up and kissed her forehead**

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

"_Me want momi"  
Penny smiled  
"I know, darling, mommy's gonna take you down tomorrow again, today her and daddy need to go to the doctor's to see if the baby is alright"  
Penny told her._

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

"**Baby? Then... this is Piper... and mom's pregnant with Phoebe..."  
Prue concluded and looked more interested at the scene... it changed, as she saw herself playing with no one but herself, outside in the backyard. She then watched how she suddenly fell  
"wha..."   
before Prue could finished, she noticed how her little self didn't start crying but instead got a very scared expression on her face. Seconds later a hand appeared on 4 year old Prue's mouth, covering her screams with his hand. Little Prue was more and more scared, Prue saw it in her eyes, then saw how the demon made an athame appear in his hand  
"no!"  
Prue screamed and stretched her hand out, like trying to keep things from happening**

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

"No!"   
Prue said in her floating form, starting to turn uncomfortable form one side to the other. Victor watched carefully, but knew he couldn't help her. He swallowed hard and closed his eyes. He was more than scared. What if Prue was hurt in this state? Inside her dreams or whatever else she was having. What if she never woke again? Victor exhaled deeply, when he heard the door. He glanced back at Prue. Could he seriously leave her? Would she be okay without him? But this force field protected her from him, why not also from demons? He glanced back at her again and then got up. He closed the door after him, as the doorbell rang a second time. He opened the door and found Piper, Phoebe, Paige, Cole and Andy in front of the door  
"where's Prue?"  
Piper demanded

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

**Prue helplessly watched the scene, but found herself relaxing, as Grams came outside. **

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

"_Prued..."   
penny stopped dead in her tracks, finding her granddaughter in the hands of a demon  
"let her go"  
she demanded  
"why should I?"  
"Cause I may rethink killing you right away"   
Penny told him  
"I don't think you'll hurt me... now will you?"  
the demon asked as he placed the athame in front of Prue and her throat. Penny gasped.  
"What do you want? The charmed ones, what else?"  
Penny asked and watched with a sight how the demon's grip loosened slightly by the distraction of the talk she had started. She used the chance and pushed him back telekinetically into a tree. Though her fall was kinda muffled as Prue fell on the demon, she still hit the tree hard. The grip on her mouth loosened   
"Grams!"  
she yelled, crying  
"it's okay, darling, don't worry"  
Penny calmed her and was about to telekinetically bring her granddaughter to her, when the grip hardened again and the demon rammed the athame into Prue's stomach till the very last inch possible_

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

**Prue swallowed, this wasn't possible. She saw little Prue falling unconscious and the 'screen' how she'd call it went dark. It seemed like there was nothing, like she was dead. Then slowly it got brighter and brighter and she then heard voices**

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

"_Mother!"   
Patty entered a hospital room, where Penny was in already, as well as the little Prue. Victor straight away went to Prue's side, taking her hand, ignoring Penny completely.  
"where's Piper?"   
"I called Julia to pick her up... I had called Leo, but... all the neighbors heard Prue's screams... I had no choice"  
Victor heard Penny's words and just simply couldn't believe it. He raised from the chair and went over to Patty and Penny, facing Penny.   
"you are risking my daughter's life, just because you are scared someone might have heard her screaming while someone stabbed her? Are you kidding me!"  
"It was the best for her and for us! And I at least was there!"  
"Oh so this is my fault once more? Cause I brought Patty to a doctor's appointment, don't you think this is a bit ridiculous"  
"oookay, you two whether stop right away or you for fuck's sake go outside! And if you don't do it for the pregnant woman standing here then at least do it for the little girl over there who almost died today!"  
Patty yelled, as finally tears rolled down her face. Victor was standing in the meantime again with the two women, and now Patty was the one, turning her back to them. She walked to her big baby and lay down on the bed next to her. She tenderly kissed her temple  
"You'll be alright"  
she whispered.  
"I'm... gonna go... pick Piper... see you later... at home"  
"don't wait for me"  
Patty told her  
"darling, that's ridiculous, you can't stay here..."  
"Yes I can"  
Patty told her stubborn  
"Patty..."  
"No damn it!"  
Victor went up to the bed and sat down on the side of it where he was closer to Patty  
"Honey, you know... I seriously don't like this... but your mother is right. You're in 6th month. You need all the rest you can..."  
"I won't leave until she woke"  
Patty answered  
"you don't have to... but... I can stay with her afterwards while you go home and care for our other children and yourself, okay?"  
Patty sighted. She wanted to stay with Prue, but Victor was right she nodded slightly  
"alright"  
she said lowly. Victor turned around to face Penny awaiting a thank you, instead she simply left  
"Oooh how I hate her"  
"Victor..."   
Patty said gently and tired of it all. He turned around again and nodded  
"sorry"  
he said and walked_ _over to the other side of the bed and took Prue's hand again. Prue seemed to react on it and slowly opened her eyes, but as fats as possible closed them tightly again, the light was just too bright. She didn't understand where she was, but she smelled her mom's perfume. She wanted to know what was going on and so opened her eyes again. She looked at her mom and moved slightly towards her. When she moved she could feel the pain and so she screwed her face.  
"Hey"  
Patty whispered and kissed her forehead again. Prue closed her eyes again, the light was hurting. Patty saw Prue pressing her eyes shut and looked up, to see if there was anything which could cause this reaction. When she looked up, she found the very bright light as well.   
"Victor... can you turn off the light"  
Victor just nodded, got up and turned off the light, then returned to his position. Prue opened her eyes again and looked at her dad. Then moved back into her mom to hide in her arms while clutching onto her dad's hand  
"You're okay"  
Patty whispered. Victor saw Prue's face as she moved  
"are you in pain, sweetie?"  
Prue closed her eyes and swallowed, then nodded  
"I get a nurse..."   
he said lowly, when Prue's grip tightened on his hand, signalizing him to stay. Patty smiled...  
"You can also press the button"  
she whispered. Victor smiled slightly and got up, still holding Prue's hand as he pressed the button. A nurse appeared a few seconds later  
"ooh you're awake"  
she said smiling in a friendly way  
"yeah and she's in pain..."   
Victor told her  
"okay... then I'm gonna give you something against that"  
the nurse told her and then went over to some stuff which was placed in the room and got a shot with morphine. When Prue saw the shot she backed more into her mom, trying to hide  
"hey... you're our big girl... right?"  
Victor asked her, but Prue still looked scared  
"you gonna sing with me the song we always do? I sing, you hum?"  
Patty asked her. Prue nodded slightly as they started to make music. Patty then gently 'washed' her hand over her face to make Prue close her eyes. Prue kept on humming and didn't even notice with the humming and her mom's voice, when the nurse gave her the shot. The nurse nodded at Victor, who smiled back. She then went to the bottom of the bed and added what she gave Prue on what date and which time._

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

**Prue swallowed. The date the nurse wrote down... this was impossible... this couldn't be...**

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

"I... umm don't know... why should I?"  
"Dad, we know she's here..."  
Phoebe tried to argue. Andy instead passed Victor and started to search the apartment  
"she's not here..."  
"Oh well... we scried for her and she IS here"  
"she was... but she left again"  
Victor lied, as he was getting more nervous as Andy started to reach his bedroom door.  
"The date"  
you heard a numb voice coming from the bedroom. Andy, who was closest, noticed Prue's voice and entered, finding Prue there  
"oh my god"  
Andy whispered hurrying over to his wife, attempting to take her hand, but he was thrown back into a nearby wall  
"Andy!"   
Paige yelled, darting forward and to his side, the rest followed, except Phoebe  
"why did you lie!"  
"Phoebe... Prue... didn't want you guys to know..."  
"Know what exactly?"   
Piper asked after she had seen the state her sister was in   
"I'm... not sure myself... she said several things... but nothing too clear. She was completely exhausted and... desperate... nothing made real sense... she said something about... something hunting her... and that she didn't want you guys to know... she said she needed my help and that I shall watch her... as she wasn't sure, what would happen"  
"so she did this to herself?"   
"Yeah... she made a potion and read a spell... and then she went into this state... no one seems to be able to touch her... I tried several times as well"  
he said looking at Andy  
"how long is she already like that?"  
Piper asked  
"maybe an hour..."  
he said  
"where are the ingredients?"  
Paige asked  
"and the spell"  
Phoebe added. The sisters started to go to work, while Andy, who stood in the meantime again, just looked down at Prue.  
"Why didn't you tell me?"  
he whispered, starring at his wife's face.


	40. 1979

_**Different Paths Part 40:**  
_**1979  
**

**--------------------**

**The clouds faded and Prue sat up more again. It'd get interesting again. She looked at the pool or screen and watched as her father was tucking her in  
**

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

_8 year old Prue was laying in her bed, victor sitting on the edge of it. He grabbed a thermometer from her mouth, looked at it and sighted. Prue didn't seem to get better at all  
"okay... sleep now a bit, sweetie"  
Prue didn't answer. Victor sighted   
"heey... I know you wanted to go with mommy... but this isn't so bad either, now is it? We finally have time to spend alone with each other..."  
Prue smiled a bit  
"you just shouldn't be gone so much..."  
Prue told him, with a sore voice...  
"I know..."  
Victor said and smiled a bit as well, then kissed her forehead again  
"now sleep a bit"  
"can you read me a story first?"  
Prue asked. Victor smiled  
"naturally"  
he told her and grabbed for a book. He put off his shoes and sat down on the bed fully. His legs outstretched. Prue grabbed her teddy and hugged it tightly, then snuggled into her dad and closed her eyes, as Victor started to read.**   
**_

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

**Prue watched a few seconds and knew what was going to happen. Only seconds later she heard the melody of the ice cream truck. Prue didn't look at the pool anymore. She couldn't. She knew what was wrong  
**

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

_Little Prue ran down the stairs with her teddy baer, looking for her dad. She didn't want to be alone any longer. Suddenly she heard this song and went to the living. She starred outside, as she watched a boy being sucked into the truck. He looked very scared. She wanted to help him. Prue shook slightly as a shudder went down her spine. She felt somehow attracted by the music and she wanted to help the little boy so badly. She hesitantly went for the door. On the way there she dropped her teddy, but was too caught up in the things going outside to even notice. She left the house and ran up to it.**  
**_

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

_Victor had taken a shower while Prue was sleeping and now returned to Prue's bedroom. He opened the door and walked up to her bed. It was empty. Victor's heartbeat immediately increased. He felt there was something wrong. There had to be something wrong.  
"Prue!"   
he called to local his daughter. He heard nothing. It freaked him out not to know where his ill daughter could be or why she wouldn't answer him. He left the room and went downstairs. On his way, he permanently called out for Prue. When he finally reached the bottom of the stairs and his eyes had checked every inch, trying to find any sign of his daughter he tried once more to call Prue. But again there was no answer. He then saw something laying on the floor. He immediately froze. It was Prue's teddy baer. This so wasn't good.  
"she'd never leave it behind"  
he said lowly to himself as he picked the brown stuffed animal from the floor. As he got up again he finally noticed the open door and started to panic.   
"oh my god"  
he whispered. he ran up to the door and saw Prue at the ice cream truck  
"Prue!"  
he called. Prue turned around to look at her father, just as the window of the ice cream truck opened.  
"daddy!"  
Prue yelled as bets as she could before completely disappearing into the truck. Victor was completely stunned, he dropped the teddy again and ran up to the truck to still catch his daughter. it was too late. The window had closed.  
"open up!"  
he yelled, as he hit the window, worried about his little girl  
"damn it, open!" **  
**_

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

**Prue looked back at the pool just to find Victor examining the truck, to find a way in. she smiled slightly. Her dad really had loved her   
"dad"  
**

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

"dad"   
Prue mumbled. Only Andy and Victor were with Prue while the girls and Cole tried to figure things out.  
"I'm here... don't worry"  
Victor said, not sure if she meant him or was just 'dreaming' something. Andy glanced up at Victor, then at Prue. why didn't she call after him? he didn't understand anything. Why did Prue hide all of that from him? he was used to Prue hiding everything to her sisters in order to protect them, but she normally always talked to him and they always talked about how she was feeling.  
"this time, she wanted to protect you"  
Victor said, somehow reading Andy's thoughts Andy looked at him, but didn't say a word.  
"she said...s he was hunted by something... and that it had something to do with you... she was very scared and almost hysterical..."  
"I know... this ahs been going on for weeks now... I noticed how she changed... but... why did she come to you? why not to me? she always used to tell me everything... why not this time? I don't understand this..."   
"Andy..."  
"no! don't! leave it... I'm... simply hurt right now... there's nothing you could say to change that... this... reminds me so much... on..."  
Andy closed his eyes. Victor just looked at him, waiting for him to go on  
"after Meghan died, she closed up to me as well. It was the beginning of the end."  
He told him and then looked again down on his wife**  
**

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

_finally Victor had found his way inside the truck and found the frozen playground before his eyes. He looked around to see Prue somewhere   
"Prue!"  
he yelled he walked more inside and again yelled out for her  
"Prue!" **  
**_

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

_Prue had been freezing cold and had settled on a swing. She was crying a lot because she was scared. then she suddenly heard her dad's voice   
"daddy!"  
she yelled as bets as she could**  
**_

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

_Victor didn't hear Prue. Prue's voice had been sore and so she wasn't very loud.  
"Prue... honey... if you hear me... just follow my voice... you can do it... I know you can... just follow my voice... c'mon"**  
**_

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

_Prue heard her dad and tried to local him. she walked towards the voice, to where she thought it was coming from. And after only a few more steps she saw a big someone standing a bit away form her**  
**_

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

_Victor looked desperately around, he hoped Prue heard him. then he saw her pink pajama not far away  
"Prue!"  
he yelled  
"daddy!"   
Prue answered and ran towards him. Victor made a few steps forwards as well and picked her up, she was almost jumping into his arms  
"it's okay... it's alright... it's okay"  
Victor whispered and held her tightly. He noticed how she shook slightly and set her down on the floor again, then wrapped his jacket around her and picked her up. He held her like a baby and Prue, without a word snuggled, into her dad. Victor kissed the top of Prue's head and then backed again... to get out of this place again. He went back to the door, a she didn't stand far away from it and had left it open.**   
**_

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

_Penny had returned to the manor earlier than she thought and entered it. She found the front door open and then saw the teddy bare,  
"Prue's teddy..."  
she mumbled and then heard the sound of the ice cream truck. She turned and froze. Penny right away went towards it to yell at the incompetent fool inside, who got one of the charmed ones caught and maybe even vanquished by the nothing. Penny just reached the truck, as Victor got out of the truck again as well. The next few things happened so fast, that no one really noticed. Victor got out of the truck, Penny arrived at the truck and automatically started to pick on Victor, the door to the truck shut again, the ice cream truck drove away and almost at the same time Patty drove into her parking space as well. Patty found it weird to see her mother and Victor standing in the middle of the street to discuss. Especially with an ill Prue in Victor's arms. she unbuckled piper and Phoebe and set them outside the car  
"Piper, honey... can you take Phoebe inside and then you two wash your hands already... we'll order some pizza..."  
she said. piper nodded and did as she was told, while Patty went over to her mother and husband  
"what happened? What did you do? Can't you watch Prue for one lousy hour?"  
Penny shot questions at Victor who just stayed where he was to let Penny take a look at Prue. Patty looked down at Prue, who was half asleep already, again  
"Prue..."  
she saw Prue's reddened cheeks. She looked worst. She kissed her forehead gently and with that felt how hot she was  
"what's wrong here?"  
Patty finally questioned  
"I'm gonna bring her inside..."   
"yeah..."  
Patty said nodding. It was the bets to bring Prue into bed and then discuss what had happened, especially because she knew, this would get them into another huge fight between Victor and Penny and she didn't want Prue to witness this. Especially not in the state she was  
"oh no you don't... you won't enter this house ever again, you understand me Victor?"  
Penny yelled after him. Victor completely ignored her and started to climb the stairs already while Penny and Patty still stood in the middle of the street  
"mother!"  
Patty said, as calm as possible, to finally stop Penny.  
"First of all... are you crazy? Can't you fight with my ex husband inside the house! Second. You know exactly we don't fight in front of the kids. So not with Prue there! and third... let him go... Prue needs to rest... so just let Victor bring her to bed."  
Penny just glanced heatedly at the front door where Victor had disappeared at just seconds ago, while Patty started for the stairs as well. **  
**_

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

**Prue sighted. She heard how her grandmother and father yelled once more at each other. She tried her best to ignore the pictures and voices. Her mom stayed away from the fight this time. She was sick of being always in the middle. She just stood at the counter and listened. Prue swallowed. This must have been horrible for her mom. If she had to always stand in the middle of fights between Andy and her dad... it'd be horrible. She only then noticed once more, how much her mom and piper were alike... always the mediator, always between her sisters, always between their father and Leo. A forbidden love. They had so much alike. A slam of a door, pulled Prue out of her thoughts. Her father was now in the basement. Packing.  
"no... please... you can't go... not now... please dad... you need to stay. Please, daddy, stay"  
Prue said lowly... but had to watch him packing everything he had anyway. He then went upstairs and to Prue's bedroom.  
**

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

"_I'm sorry, sweetie, but... I have no choice... I love you"  
Victor whispered and kissed Prue's forehead once more, got up and walked to the door. He looked once more back.  
"I'm so sorry"  
then he carefully, not to wake Prue, closed the door and went back down, into the backyard, where piper and Phoebe played. He chased them for a good minute and the girls laughed. There never was much time to play with their dad. Finally Victor had managed to catch phoebe started tickling her a bit.  
"hey... can I talk to you two for a second?"  
he asked smiling and sat down on one of the swings in the backyard. He placed phoebe on his lap. Piper came up to him and stood next to them. Victor looked at her and ruffled her hair.   
"you're going again, right?"  
piper asked. Victor sighted  
"yes... I have to go..."  
Phoebe turned around with big eyes and looked at her dad  
"no go"  
Victor smiled and kissed her gently.  
"heeey... I have no choice... job is job…"  
he said in a gentle voice and only then saw Patty approaching  
"you do have a choice. Don't go, Victor. The girls need you."   
Victor shook his head  
"leave it, Patty. My decision is made."  
Piper looked scared at her dad and then snuggled into her mom. She felt there was something very wrong.  
"you be back for my birfday, rite?"  
Phoebe asked. Victor smiled   
"naturally"  
he lied and kissed Phoebe once more, then placed her on the floor and got up.  
"you don't have to do this..."  
"yes I do..."  
Victor said and then looked down at piper and knelt down again  
"do I get a hug?"  
Piper pulled away from her mom and hugged Victor tightly  
"I'm gonna miss you so much"  
he told her, holding her very tight as well. he pulled away and looked at her and Phoebe again  
"always remember, that I love you two and Prue more than anything, okay?"   
"we love you too, daddy"  
both said crying already. Victor sighted. This was so hard. It never was this hard, because he'd be back. But this time he wouldn't be back. He reached out for their cheeks and with each thumb tried to pull as best as possible tears from their cheeks and eyes  
"be good girls, okay?"  
he asked, finally got up and went as fats as possible out of the manor. he entered his car and leaned his head on the steering wheel, closing his eyes tightly. He let out a few deep breathes, to calm himself down and then pulled away. he turned the engine on and on the display in his car appeared the date and time. 6th August 1979. 2.00pm.**  
**_

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

**Prue cried lightly. She never had imagined it was this hard for her dad to leave.  
"6th August..."  
she whispered, watching his car getting smaller and smaller  
"the same date..."**

**--------------------**

**AN:  
**faith kingsley: no, it wasn't Paige. It was Phoebe. Prue wasin backyard and Penny just took piper down for a nap. Phoebe's in Patty's stomach, so that's how everyone was busy.

I wanna say a whole lot lovely thank yous to everyone who commented. You guys keep me going! Thank you!


	41. 1983

_**Different Paths Part 41:**  
_**1983  
**

**--------------------**

**Once more the fogs disappeared and Prue again found herself. This time she was again older and was playing in the backyard with Rasputin, their husky. She threw a ball away and he got it. Rasputin ran back to her and jumped onto little Prue, knocking her over. Prue smiled. She had loved that dog deeply.   
**

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

_Prue giggled as Rasputin licked her face. "Rasputin... Rasputin... stop... please!" she begged. Suddenly Rasputin jumped away and barked at the entrance. Prue sat up and heard steps. There weren't that much people who would use that entrance. Maybe it was a thief or murderer.  
"Heeey, good boy"  
Andy said entering the back yard, patting Rasputin's head. Prue fell back on the grass again. Laughing. How could she have been so ridiculous to think it could be someone else. Andy looked confused at Prue  
"what's so funny? I wanna laugh too" _

_He asked smiling and sat down next to her  
"nothing... you wouldn't understand"  
she said, still laughing and then looked up at him, while Rasputin laid onto her legs and looked at her. Prue stopped laughing and sat up, crawling the dog's head.  
"Sooo what brings you here? I thought you had to help your dad today..."  
"I did... but we got ready sooner than we thought... sooo... what ya say if I invite you for some ice cream at Amadeus (a local café) and we afterwards go, you know where..." he said. They never talked about 'their' place at the manor or at school. No one was supposed to know about their secret place.  
"I don't know... I'd have to ask Grams first anyway... and then see what Piper and Phoebe say to it..."  
Andy rolled his eyes  
"Piper and Phoebe here... Grams there... you got something else on your mind beside them?"  
"Andy... you know it's not that simple since..."  
Prue looked down and sighted  
"you can't replace her, Prue..."  
"I know that... no one can replace anyone... but... it's hard for me already... how can it be easy on them?"  
Prue asked looking at Andy. Rasputin had laid his head in her lap, looking somewhat sad as well.  
"I... I'm gonna ask Grams if I can go... just give me a minute..."  
she said and got up, Rasputin followed her very step till they both arrived in the kitchen  
"Grams?"  
"Uh hum..."  
"I... I was wondering if I could go with Andy downtown for a while..."  
Penny put her newspaper down and looked at Prue.  
"Did you do your homework?"  
Prue nodded  
"and Piper said she'd help me, after she finished hers, with the washing up..." "Alright... then tell Piper she has some more spare time... you are back to dinner... and afterwards you and piper clean the kitchen."  
Prue smiled and hugged her grandmother  
"thanks Grams"  
she told her and placed a small peck on her cheek._

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

**Prue continued to look down. She didn't remember this, or didn't quite understand why she saw this. The scene changed and it now seemed to be later the same day. **

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

"_I'm home!"  
Prue yelled closing the door after her. A crying Phoebe came running to her and hugged her sister tightly, crying into her stomach (12 years to 8 years... should be right to be stomach).   
"Hey... what's wrong?"  
Prue asked confused and worried   
"what happened?"  
she asked gently, crawling her head_

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

**Prue gasped. She remembered.  
"No..."  
she whispered and swallowed hard as she had to watch how her grandmother stepped into the hall as well**

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

"_Rasputin disappeared..."_

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

**Prue closed her eyes. The scene changed, she watched herself and Andy sitting at one of the tables in the solar. She was making a flyer.**

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

'_Who has seen this dog? His name is Rasputin and he's missed dearly by his family since the 6th August 1983. If you have seen him or have any information about his actual location, please call (telephone number)'_

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

"**1983... wasn't the other... '79... and... The first was '71... Then... the thing where I got stabbed... yeah... mom was pregnant with Phoebe... it must have been 1975...'71... '75... '79 and now '83... Four years... the same date every four years...**

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

"'71... '75... '79... '83..."  
Prue mumbled, tossing more. Andy looked at her confused  
"what... Prue what's with that numbers?"  
he asked  
"4..."  
she mumbled and Andy looked even more confused. He thought for a second more about it... it could be years.  
"Prue... are those years? Shall I look something up?"  
Andy asked... naturally he got no response...   
"Piper! Phoebe! Victor!"  
Andy yelled. All three appeared immediately at the door with Paige in row  
"what? Is something wrong?"  
"I think she said something about years... 1971... 1975... 1979... 1983... and then she said four... ringing any bells?"  
he asked  
"well... beside... the difference between the years is FOUR... No..."  
"Well... 1971 Prue was born..."  
Phoebe said, thinking logical...  
"1975..."  
Victor said after reconstructing what was going on this year. He tried to remember everything he could from the year  
"I... Prue was four... she... Prue was attacked by a demon for the first time, when she was four..."  
Victor finally threw into the round  
"1979... dad... that's the year you left... right? I... I mean... 1979 I was 6 and you left when I was 6..."  
Victor nodded and looked at Prue...  
"But... 1983... What was 1983?"  
Phoebe asked. It had been silent for a few seconds. Andy was the first to move. He looked up at the rest  
"Rasputin..."  
"Rasputin?"   
Paige asked, looking completely confused...  
"We had a dog... Rasputin... he went missing... when... after my 10th birthday..."  
"Yes... I remember the big party in spring..."   
Phoebe nodded  
"okay... if we stay with the four years thing... what'd be the next year?"  
Paige asked  
"'87"   
Victor gave the last information he could, since he had been gone 8 years abck then already.  
"'87... Anyone?"  
Phoebe asked  
"Prue was 16... Then I was 14 and Phoebe was 12... C'mon people... there gotta be something..."  
"I... I had my first girlfriend with 16..."  
Andy said after several moments   
"yeah... and with 16 Prue had been permanently bad mooded, remember, Piper?"  
Piper nodded and looked at Andy  
"she was jealous... yeah she told me once about this... when we were together... I... I mean... Amanda and I split because Prue and me got into a relationship... and... when we were finally together... we talked... and... she said she had been jealous..."  
"well..."  
Piper said and looked back at her sister.  
"if this is really about Amanda and you... we'll find out soon..."


	42. 1987

_**Different Paths Part 42:**  
_**1987  
**

**--------------------**

**Prue didn't have time to come to all these conclusions. After the fogs cleared again she was pulled into a new scene. She still wasn't anywhere near the end of her quest  
**

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

_Prue stood at her locker getting books and putting others back. She put herself a new message with a magnet onto the inside of her locker. She always did that with all her homework, dates of tests and simple notes she wrote to ehrself to remember everythingshe still had to do. After school had finished she'd get all the little notes which were important for that day, take them home and there they'd help her to plan the rest of her day.  
"Prue..."  
Piper whined, walking up to her sister  
"what is it?"  
Prue asked, turning immediately  
"we have to write an essay about our best holiday..."  
Prue sighted they never actually had been to a holiday  
"true or imagined?"  
"I didn't really ask..."   
"Who gave you that homework?"  
"Mrs. Collins..."   
"I'll talk to her... don't worry"  
she said smiling. Andy ran up to them  
"Prue... why did you disappear so fast after class?"  
"Hi Andy"  
"hey"  
"I'm gonna go... and you sure will ask, right?"  
Piper asked  
"yes don't worry... go already"  
Prue said again  
"bye"  
Andy said as Piper left them again  
"sooo?"  
Andy asked   
"bathroom emergency"  
Prue answered  
"ooh..."   
"otherwise I thought you and Amanda had a pretty good talk..."   
"Hey... you jealous?"  
"No! Why should I? I mean... just because it seems like you have a new best friend..."  
"Pruedence Halliwell... you should slowly know that no one can replace your role as my best friend."  
"If you say so..."  
Prue said. She was still somewhat mad at him. The last days she felt as if Andy was hiding something or ignoring her. At least when Amanda was there.   
"What ya say, if I pick you later today up and we go to the park to drive a bit with our roller skates?"  
Prue's face finally softened  
"okay"  
she answered him with a smile   
"alright... then let's go... you know Mr. Davis is getting moody when we're late..."  
"nah... go already... I still have to talk to Mrs. Collins for a second."  
"Okay... laters"   
Prue nodded and closed her locker, starting to head the other way  
_

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

"**Goddess! What is this? The worst days of my life?"**_   
_

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

"worst... days of... life"  
"what? You heard that?"  
"so it really has something to do with bad events in Prue's life, which just... like that are... without any meaning... happening every four years?"  
"I don't think so..."  
Cole said lowly  
"what do you mean?"_  
_

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

**Prue suddenly froze. The first thing she saw...  
"mom and grams talked about some curse... 4 years... 6th August... curse... this..."  
now things were getting clearer to her as well  
"okay... 16... Then the next is 20... The accident... with 24... I yeah... Rodger and me had that terrible fight..."  
she couldn't quite believe it.  
**

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

_Prue checked her watch and saw it had been too late to talk to Mrs. Collins. She'd never make it to Mr. Davis' class in time and that meant trouble. Big trouble. She turned around and went straight for Mr. Davis' classroom she just walked around the corner when she saw Andy. He stood with Amanda in front of the class, but something just seemed wrong. She stopped and watched. She looked them over and then saw how Andy held her hand. Andy looked up  
"Prue'll be so late"  
he told her, not seeing Prue stood there.  
"Well... then we better should go inside... so we won't be late as well..."   
"Yeah... let's go..."  
he said smiling and then kissed her. Prue swallowed hard. It gave her heart a squeeze to see that. Prue at that moment still thought, this was because Andy lied to her. But the truth was she wanted what Amanda had. She wanted Andy.   
_

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

**Prue sighted. She was shocked by her new knowledge and so just continued to look at it as the scene changed.  
**

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

_Prue now sat on her desk writing on an essay for her literature class, but she seemed not to get forward at all. Her thoughts kept replaying the scene she saw  
"he lied to me!"  
she somewhat yelled and pushed herself back in her chair  
"who did?"  
Phoebe asked, coming into the room, without even a knock  
"ever heard about knocking, Phoebe?"  
she asked in a harsh tone. Phoebe shrugged back and left Prue's room again. Prue looked at her calendar. It had been black white pictures of couples. 6th August. The day Andy betrayed her.  
"Argh!"  
she made and grabbed her calendar and threw it into her trash can. Just as she did she heard a knock on the door. Prue shook her head. It probably was Andy. She grabbed her pen again and tried to look busy "yeah" she said and indeed Andy entered  
"hey... you ready?"  
"No... I didn't finish literature yet... can't come along... sorry"  
she said, scribbling some words down.  
"You can also finish it later, now can you? C'mon Prue..."  
"damn it Andy, I said no!"  
she told him in an almost the same harsh voice she had used before on Phoebe  
"okay... what's wrong? What did I do now again?"   
"Nothing... I'm just busy"  
"no you're not..."   
"Why don't you go bug Amanda?"  
"Cause I have a date with you... and not her... and like I said in school already... you're my bets friend. Not her"  
"but she's your girlfriend, right?"  
Andy froze and swallowed hard  
"where..."   
"I saw you and her before class..."  
"Prue... I... wanted to tell you today... I swear..."  
"I don't care! You lied to me! And now please Andy... get out. I need to work this through, alright?"  
"sure..."  
Andy whispered  
"bye"   
he said at the door and waited for a response. Prue completely ignored him. Andy nodded and left.  
_

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

Prue smiled a little "if you had stayed a bit longer... would have come a bit closer... I probably had told you, that I love you..." 


	43. 1991

_**Different Paths Part 43:**  
_**1991  
**

**--------------------**

_Prue sat on her window, starring outside while thinking about everything. She thought about all the ways she tried to help her sisters and only made things worse._

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

**Prue looked down as she saw this. She immediately knew what was wrong and knew what her past self thought about, when tears sprang to her eyes. She remembered this evening, this night so well. She had thought about her being the worst thing, that could happen to Piper and Phoebe and how she had loved to have died instead of her mom back then in the lake. She didn't know about the water demon back then. Didn't know anything about magic at all. Prue then suddenly heard the words which her younger self thought **

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

'_My love is a curse. Whoever I love gets killed, hurt or they leave before they can get hurt. I hurt Piper and Phoebe. I killed mom and Meghan. I got Andy and dad to leave. Everything just because I loved them.'_  


**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

**Prue closed her eyes, just as her other self did as well. She swallowed hard  
"a curse..."  
she breathed  
"It... really is a curse..."  
Prue swallowed hard again. Her love seriously had been a curse. She didn't think like that anymore in 4 years, but now it suddenly wasn't just a thought, a believe, a stupid thesis anymore. It was the truth. She was a curse. A curse to herself and a curse to everyone she loved. It seriously was her fault. Everything was her fault.** **Every four years something bad happened, happens and will happen to the people she loved or herself. Thinking about all of this, tears started to build in her eyes. It also would happen this year.**

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

"People... look!"  
Victor said as he saw how Prue started crying and that not just a little. Not just a few tears. It were waterfalls. The attention immediately slid from Cole's comment back to Prue's condition  
"You guys think it's already the next?"  
Paige asked  
"what'd be the next?"  
Piper asked  
"20..."   
Andy said. Phoebe considered it for a second and then started shaking visibly.  
"Phoebe?"  
Victor asked worried, but stayed at Prue's side. Cole stood next to Phoebe already, his arm around her waist.  
"The... the accident... the bridge... the... the picture... remember, Piper?"  
Piper nodded unconsciously. Cole stepped more behind Phoebe and wrapped his arms tightly around her. hugging her form behind

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

**The next Prue heard were the sound of the accident. She didn't look up. She couldn't see this all over again. She tried to avoid the pool, but it had no use. She was forced to see it, no matter where she'd look. **

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

"I hate you!"  
cars were honking when Prue hit the junction  
then there was this ugly sound of the breaks when she tried to pull the car out of harms way.  
"Oh my god! PHOEBE!" 

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

**Prue still didn't look, but there simply were some things she had to see. Things she wanted to see because that was the reason she started this quest thing at all. And so the picture, she had made of the bridge, appeared in her mind and stayed there while she heard the music playing again. This song. She opened her eyes, to make the picture go away, but it had no use. Everywhere she looked she saw it. **

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

"_The last song for this rainy 6th August in 1991 will now be played. I hope I brought some sunshine in your cloudy and rainy day after all so I'm gonna say goodbye with some more melancholic song… here you go..."_

_All around me are familiar faces  
Worn out places  
Worn out faces _

_Bright and early for their daily races  
Going nowhere  
Going nowhere _

_Their tears are filling up their glasses  
No expression  
No expression _

_Hide my head I want to drown my sorrow  
No tomorrow  
No tomorrow _

_chorus  
And I find it kind of funny  
I find it kind of sad  
The dreams in which I'm dying  
Are the best I've ever had_

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

_It was driving Prue crazy. She couldn't take this anymore.  
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"  
she yelled trying to shake her head, getting the picture and music away, what simply was impossible. Then, the scene finally changed, leaving Prue in the fogs again, as she tried to calm down. She still continued to sob  
"make it stop... oh god... please make it stop..."  
she begged.   
_

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

Everyone's attention had been on Phoebe and so they all got a little fright as Prue suddenly started screaming.  
"Prue? Prue!"  
Andy said, almost yelled, again trying to touch her. Again his hand was shrugged off. pushed away by the force field.  
"Damn it, you guys need to do something!"  
he said looking up at piper and Paige  
"we can't"  
Paige told him.  
"She'll wake when she saw everything to answer her questions. She won't wake before that, no matter what we do"


	44. 1995

_**Different Paths Part 44:**  
_**1995  
**

**--------------------**

**Prue still sobbed as she heard the next scene to start. She didn't want to see it. She had gotten it. She was cursed. Something would happen to her or one of her beloved ones today. She had gotten it. She really had.  
**

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

"_Prue, honey, I don't have the time for this, we don't! What about the Beal's artefacts?"  
"Rodger, our wedding is in two weeks and we still didn't pick a menu. It's about time! Now c'mon"  
_

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

**Prue heard Rodger's voice and took in a calming breath, trying to make it, to force herself to watch this scene as well.  
**

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

_Prue and Rodger were walking past Andy and Morris' table and even stopped just behind Andy's back to continue their argument.  
_

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

**Prue saw how Andy shrugged together. She smiled slightly  
"it was really you"  
she breathed as fresh tears sprang to her eyes.  
**

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

"_Why don't you pick that alone?"  
"Because I picked like everything alone, sweetie... the flowers, the church, the restaurant! I even picked your tux!"  
She heard a loud crash.  
_

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

**Prue's attention moved to the table right in front of them. Andy. He had dropped his cup. She smiled a bit.  
"Why didn't you say something, if you recognized me, you idiot**_  
_

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

"... didn't... say something... recognize me... idiot..."  
Prue mumbled  
"who? What? What is she talking about?"  
"Hmm... let's say... the bridge thing is over... then Prue's 24 now..."  
"knew it was you"  
Prue mumbled again  
"who was what?"  
"I... I think I know what she's talking about..."  
"what? You were here? When Prue was 24 you were here? In San Francisco?"  
"I was back already..."  
"didn't you say on Grams funeral..."  
Phoebe started again  
"you were at Grams' funeral?"  
Piper asked surprised. Andy first glanced at Piper and then looked back at Phoebe  
"I couldn't tell you the truth, Pheebs"  
Andy told her and looked back down at Prue. His thoughts wandering back to the actual topic.  
"We somehow met once..."  
he finally commented. It started to work inside Piper's head. This seemed familiar  
"it was you? Seriously? Why didn't you say something? Prue had thought she had gone crazy! Do you even know how much pain you could have spared her, if you just turned around and said hi or something?"  
"That's probably why Prue 'dreams' about it... another bad day in her life... another day... everything went wrong... another important part of her destiny, which didn't work out the good way..."  
Cole commented, revealing once and for all, that he knew more than the others_  
_

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

**Prue watched herself hesitate and then the hand. Andy's hand looked worst since all the hot brew flew over his other hand. She then watched her younger self lean down to talk to Andy. Prue bit her lip tightly.  
"Why didn't I go after him?"  
she asked herself   
"I knew it was you..."  
she smiled in a small whisper. Though she didn't know why she smiled. How much pain she had spared, if she had recognized him now. But it somehow calmed her to see her Andy there. His presence had been there. His face. She then saw how her younger self cuddled into Rodger and her expression changed. She looked disgusted._  
_**

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

"_Prue? Are you okay?"  
Rodger asked her as he wrapped his arms protectively around her  
_

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

"**Yeah, if I had recognized Andy, I would have been okay... asswhole!"  
Prue was more angry than sad by now  
**

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

"_Yeah... I... I just... thought for a second, that... that I knew the man. But that's impossible... The man I mean... lives in... in Portland... they... prob... probably just look familiar..."  
"Excuse my partner. His girlfriend just broke up with him. They wanted to marry soon. He's just sensible about the wedding topic"  
_

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

"**Darryl..."   
Prue smiled  
"you could have told me too!"  
she complained  
**

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

"_It's alright"  
"Well, I better go after him, see if he's alright"  
Rodger pulled Prue out of her thoughts  
"Prue... I really don't have time for the hugging part, here... in fact I don't have time for anything anymore. I'm sorry"  
"It's okay..."  
"Can you give me a ride to the manor before you head back to the museum?"  
_

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

"**If I wouldn't have been so upset, is wear I would have poured the other cup of coffee over your head, Rodger!"  
Prue watched the scene to continue. She was in her room now. She watched her younger self laying on her bed. She shook her head and got up. Then went to the closet and searched something  
"right... the dress for the registry office."  
Then heard a knock. Her younger self didn't hear it and then Piper just entered  
**

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

"_Prue? Prue, are you okay?"  
"Umm... what?"  
"You alright? Prue?"  
Piper moved closer to Prue and put an arm around her  
"um... yeah... I'm... I'm okay"  
"Well you don't seem so"  
Piper lead Prue towards the bed. she just let herself be lead.  
"I... just... can't believe my nerves are playing such tricks on me..."  
"What are you talking about?"  
"I... I um... think I saw Andy today."  
"Excuse me?"  
"Yeah... Rodger and I wanted to try stuff for the menu... and suddenly there this guy was. He looked so much familiar. And he dropped his mug and... then abruptly left the restaurant. I saw his face just a sec. but I could have sworn, it was Andy."  
"And now you doubt Rodger?"  
_

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

"**No, Piper... I would have wanted to break up with him... if I for sure knew, this was Andy... and especially, if I knew, he was divorced..."   
Prue said, as if she could influence the scene  
**

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

"_Yeah..."  
"Well, Prue, that's ridiculous. You love Rodger. Andy is married. You are soon married."  
"I know..."  
"Hey, um... I still need to pick a dress for the official part of the wedding, want to help me search one?"  
"You kidding?"  
Both of them got up and went back to Prue's closet. Both started to joke around with the old clothes inside the closet. They were playing around, as Piper accidentally touched some box, which gild just then down to the floor, revealing everything inside to the floor of the closet. It was the box full with Prue's memories on Meghan and Andy. All the pictures and letters fell to the bare floor and Prue immediately stopped giggling, as she starred down on the mess on the floor. At all the memories, suddenly floating to her mind  
"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry, Prue!"  
Piper told her. She hurriedly leaned down and started to pick everything up again  
"No... No it's okay..."  
Prue said, as she finally knelt down as well and started to pick stuff as well  
"I really do have a bad timing"  
"It's not your fault, Piper, really. It was placed..."  
Prue stopped in mid-sentence as she saw it. She saw the ring, Andy gave her, laying on the floor and simply starred at it. She swallowed hard and bit her lip.  
_

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

Prue smiled a little  
"yes... the beginning of the end… and a great beginning for Andy and me..."  
she said smiling...  
"So... this day had goods as well?"  
she asked herself as she continued to watch and then saw how her younger self started to sob uncontrollably on the bed. She sighted. She knew how she had felt. Torn between two men. Torn between her real love and... well, Rodger. She remembered how hurt she was about Rodger caring about nothing and Andy being married. She only agreed on the engagement thing with Rodger, cause Andy had been married already. He was off the market. Out of her reach. But back then he ahd seemed so close again. Prue shook her head to her question  
"no... Nothing good..."  
she said sighting... as clouds again blocked her view.


	45. 1999

_**Different Paths Part 45:**  
_**1999  
**

**--------------------**

**Prue sighted as the fogs disappeared again and this time she saw her not much younger self with Andy on the swing. It all seemed very much familiar and scary for Prue. She had a feeling, but wasn't sure. But she'd receive a reassurance very soon  
**

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

**"**_A time loop?"  
_

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

"**Time loop"  
Prue whispered, but realized only a few seconds later what it meant.  
"No! Don't! No... Please... don't make me watch this... please"  
she begged, but knew it had no use.  
**

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

"_You mean demons can actually do that sort of thing?"  
Andy asked. He knew about Prue and her sisters being witches, but he still didn't fully comprehend what that really meant  
"None that I've ever seen before but if it is a demon, it's the most powerful one we've ever come up against..."  
Prue threw in. she had her arms crossed over her chest and watched Andy closely  
_

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

**Prue watched her younger self's crossed arms and smiled. She had done anything at that time to prevent Andy from coming too close to her.  
**

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

"_He's going through all this just to kill me?"  
Prue swallowed. She had no answer for this or better she didn't want to answer him. She couldn't.  
"No way, Prue. If he's as powerful as you say, then he's gotta be after you..."  
Andy said pointing at her. He tried to stay on distance though he was very scared about her. He tried to stay professional; after all he was a cop. But knew he failed terribly. Prue didn't wait a second more  
"Andy, please just let us handle this..."  
Prue told him and then looked away she couldn't look at him and say what she was about to say. She didn't want him to see, she still had very deep feelings for him  
"Whatever you do you have to promise me that you'll stay away from the manor."   
"I can't promise you that, Prue."  
Andy said and stepped closer to her.  
"If you're right and Rodriguez is the demon then it's a trap."  
"Yeah and then I'll have Piper and Phoebe there to back me up. Alright? And together we have the power of three."   
Andy wouldn't let her off the hook so easy, he couldn't. He was worried. So he started to argue with her  
"What if that's what he wants? All three of you together. What if that's the reason he set the time loop?"  
"We'll just have to take our chances."   
"You could get killed, Prue."  
Andy told her. Prue starred for a second into his eyes  
'what about you?'  
Prue asked herself in a painful manner  
"I mean it, Andy"  
she told him with a voice she had heard so often from her grandmother  
_

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

**Prue smiled hearing herself say that. She smiled through her tears. This seriously must have sound completely ridiculous to him.  
**

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

"_This is not your fight..."  
_

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

**Prue again smiled, even laughed. When Andy returned, this was the first they had talked about. Almost like they had later in that talk. Demons were her business; the 'normal' bad guys his.  
**

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

"_Don't make me use my magic on you."  
She said and they went both silent, for several seconds just looking into each other's eyes. They both felt the tension between them. Andy wanted to hold her, tell her he'd forever protected her, but there still was this witch thing, he simply couldn't handle. And he didn't know whether to find it cute, get mad or just simply laugh about her threat. Cute, cause she was worried about him; mad, about her thinking of him he was a weak little human, who couldn't handle demons anyway; laugh, cause Prue's voice just sounded so much like his mom's when she lectured him. Prue wanted to kiss him barely. He looked so hot, but she knew he didn't want it. They both were worried about the other. Prue swallowed hard and the small smile which played on Andy's lips disappeared right away  
"I would die if anything happened to you."  
_

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

**Prue watched Andy closely. She saw how his heart melt and at the same time got another squeeze of her heart. Today this could repeat. And she really would die, if anything happened to Andy, again, or their daughters for that matter. It again would be all her fault. Just because of this stupid curse.  
**

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

_Prue starred into his eyes and paused  
'Can I? Shall I?'  
she thought to herself and inhaled once more deeply  
"I love you."   
Andy smiled warmly at her. And suddenly this witch thing didn't seem to matter anymore. All that matter was, that he loved her and she loved him  
"I love you too, Prue."  
he said gently and again moved a step closer to her. He had kissed her, but before he even could, Prue had wrapped her arms tightly around him. She held him tightly. Andy held her for a few seconds tight as well. He was scared something would happen to her. Especially now, that they finally allowed their feelings to come to the surface again. He tenderly kissed her hair, what caused Prue to pull slightly away. Andy smiled again at her and then finally leaned down to kiss her  
_

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

**Prue couldn't help but think about her own Andy. She wanted him there right now. She wanted him to hold her. Wrap his arms around her. She should have talked to him about this stuff. But she now knew why. She couldn't have pulled him into a new danger. Couldn't risk his life again.  
**

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

_About an hour later Andy entered his apartment. He sat down on his couch and thought about what had happened the last hour. Prue and him where just sitting on the swing. She laid in his arms and he just simply held her. Prue had crawled his hands. They didn't do much more than just hold each other, caress each other and mainly kiss each other. They were back together. He was in heaven. He had promised Prue to stay away. He knew she couldn't do her job right, when she was worried about him. He couldn't concentrate on his job neither, whenever he was worried about Prue. Like it was, when this... mr. berman was killing people during sleep and he knew, Prue was somehow involved. He remembered how aggressive he was. It was so hard to just go away from the swing. To part. They were newly in love. Parting was always the worst of the day. He had loved to never leave the swing again. But Prue had to go, and he knew it. And he had to get home. Where it was safe, like Prue had asked him to. Now he sat on his couch and regretted this all so much. He couldn't just sit there and wait. Wait for a message of Prue or Piper or Phoebe to call and say Prue wasn't okay. He wanted to protect her, and he would. He grabbed his phone and dialled in Darryl's ceil number  
"Darryl? I need to talk to you. Can we meet?"  
_

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

_Half an hour later Andy entered buddy's  
"do you have it?"  
Andy asked  
"for what do you need it?"  
"I can't tell you..."  
"then I'm afraid I can't give you the weapon, Andy..."  
"Darryl... please... I need your help in this... seriously..."  
Darryl sighted and handed him the bag with the weapon inside  
"thank you..."  
a waitress came up to the two men and asked them what they wanted. Andy ordered a water and Darryl a coffee  
"okay... umm... you need to listen now to me, Darryl. I'm gonna do... something... maybe stupid..."  
"wha..."   
the waitress returned with their orders. And when she was gone again, Andy again looked at Darryl  
"please... first listen to me... then we might be able to discuss..."  
Andy said and Darryl nodded  
"so like I said... I may do something stupid today... and I need you to do me two favours... if anything happens to me today... and I... for some reason... can't do it myself... I need you to make sure, Prue knows, it wasn't her fault"  
"so this is really about Prue? Was that phone call as well?"  
Andy ignored what Darryl said  
"I need you to make her know that and I need you to make sure... that... if there should be any investigations... that Prue's name... never appears in any files... connected to me..."  
"Andy... are you... insane... I can't do this"  
"Darryl... please... I'll explain everything to you one day... but right about now, I just simply don't have the time. Promise me you'll do that."  
Darryl hesitated...   
"Trudeau..."  
"promise me..."  
"Andy... I..."   
"promise me!"  
Andy asked again and finally the inspector nodded  
"alright... I promise... but only if you promise me... you'll do nothing too dangerous, alright?"  
"I'll try"   
Andy said, grabbed the bag and disappeared without a goodbye.  
_

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

**Prue couldn't help but smile. Andy was so cute. She knew how this vision would end and it made her not happy at all. But he was so cute. She still remembered the amazing feeling of his lips on hers. His touches. Every single second of this morning was in her mind. Now he also made sure, she wouldn't feel guilty and that she wouldn't get suspected in his murder.  
"I love you"  
Prue whispered as fresh tears rolled down her cheeks.  
**

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

_Andy had driven to the manor and stayed sitting in his car, watching the house. He'd make sure nothing would happen to Prue. Prue went through so much already without him. He'd not let her handle this alone. Not this time. This time he'd protect her, not the other way around. Andy then noticed Rodriguez and ducked. He watched him closely as he started to go up the stairs. He then saw Kit who growls at the stranger. Rodriguez turns and looks at kit with blood red eyes. Kit growled another once at him and then ran away.  
"_**_Oh_**_ my God, Prue."  
he whispered and grabbed his gun. He saw how Rodriguez crashed the door open and so he hurried up the stairs. He heard crashes and screams  
"Prue..."  
he said under his breath as he stormed into the manor as well  
_

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

"**Stay away... please... Andy... you have to stay away..."  
Prue said lowly. Already sobbing. She had to watch herself falling to the floor. Her eyes were still open. She remembered how she heard Andy's voice and saw him  
**

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

"_Nooo!"   
Andy yelled and started to shoot at Rodriguez.  
"Andy..."   
Prue mumbled before falling unconscious. Rodriguez didn't wait long and threw an energy ball at Andy who, by the force of it, was thrown back into glass cabinet.  
_

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

**Prue closed her eyes tightly. She never actually had seen how everything happened, but once more, closing her eyes didn't have any use. Even with her eyes closed, she still saw every detail  
"no... Please... it's enough... I want to end this..."  
she sobbed, hoping it'd be this easy to escape the quest. She was shocked and confused from everything. Phoebe's accident. Andy's death. Everything was her fault. She was cursed. It was her fault. Everything was. Everything seemed to be. This was throwing her even more back into the state; she was in, after she had seen her accident with Phoebe. Sobbing she had to watch Andy's crashed body and his wide open eyes. She knew he was dead. This was getting more and more horrible.  
**

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

**_Prue sat for several minutes on the swing. Not understanding where she was, why she was there or what happened. She then suddenly heard a voice. Andy's voice  
"_**_Prue. Prue. Come to me, Prue."  
Andy said as he walked around the swing to come to her.  
"Andy? What's going on? Where are we? "   
"I'm not quite sure... really."  
He said looking up. Searching the place, smiling slightly.  
"I always hoped... I'd end up here, but... not so soon."  
He said and paused, to stare ahead of him.  
"One thing I DO know is... that I'm staying."   
He told her and then finally looked down to Prue.  
"You're not."  
Prue shook her head, but kept her eyes fixed on his.  
"I don't understand."  
Andy sighted. He didn't understand how he was so calm. How he knew he was dead and all, but it seemed like, something was inside of him, giving him this knowledge and strength. He sat down next to Prue and swallowed. This was so hard. He didn't look at her as he started  
"I broke my promise, Prue. I came to your house tonight..."  
he told her and then turned to look at Prue.  
"Turns out Phoebe's premonition was one... you couldn't stop after all."  
Andy told her and swallowed  
"Weren't supposed to stop."  
'How can I say this?'  
Andy thought, it seemed like someone was putting these words into his mouth and they just came out of it, as if they were his won.  
"Wait a minute..."  
Prue said. This couldn't be true...  
"Andy... no."  
Andy bit his lip and then laid his arm around Prue.  
"It's okay, Prue. Really. Trust me..."  
'What? This is not okay! We just... came back together... again... this is absolutely not okay.'   
It yelled inside of Andy, but again something inside of him, seemed to just force him to say this and keep the truth inside. He started to stroke her hair gently, while looking at her and continued to explain things to Prue, he still didn't understand – comprehend – this all himself.  
"This is my destiny. I know that now. Yours is to continue on."  
He said. He again looked away. He couldn't look her into the eyes and say that. He wasn't sure if this seriously would be his destiny. He was scared, his face showed different things to what he said. But this babbling seemed better... more normal... more reasonable.  
"Everything happens for a reason. Remember? You taught me that."  
He said and found himself smiling. He could look at her. He wouldn't scare her even more. He knew that now.  
"This isn't fair..."  
Andy didn't let her much time to talk.  
"You need to go back. You need to keep the time loop from being reset again or you and your sisters will be killed. And I will have died in vein..."  
"I'll kill Rodriguez for this."  
She told him, looking away.  
_

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

**Prue continued to watch the torture. She was calm. He seemed calm. Why were they calm? He was dead... gone. They'd be apart for years... they had to think... it'd be forever. Why were they so damn calm? Prue then remembered why she had been calm. Andy. Andy was the one calming her down. He resembled the rock in the sea. Andy crawled her head. She always had loved and still loved when he did this. Everything seemed so much better every time he did that. She closed her eyes and thought she'd feel it again as well. She calmed slightly as well again.  
'Why... did Andy know all of this? How could he know it? What is he babbling?'  
she asked herself, for the first time she noticed how absurd this all was. What he said. how he acted.  
**

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

"_No you won't. You're not a murderer, Prue, you're a good person who does good things."  
"I don't wanna lose you..."  
_

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

**Prue heard her voice and thought, that these were the first real, natural words she had heard the last few minutes.  
**

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

"_Don't worry. You won't..."  
Andy stroke her cheek gently and Prue looked at him. Was forced to. She looked into his eyes and saw, he wasn't calm. Not at all. Maybe on the surface, but his eyes showed fear and sorrow. She wanted to ask him, what was wrong, but she didn't have time. He leaned down to kiss her. Prue automatically closed her eyes. A tear left her eye. She enjoyed the kiss. Felt his hand on her cheek and his tender kiss. How his tongue started to gently massage hers. And just as she was about to think, this never would end. He broke the kiss. Andy didn't want to stop neither. He didn't want to let her go. But again this invisible force made him pull away.  
"I'll always be there for you..."  
he whispered. Prue looked at him and noticed he was about to lean forwards again. She closed her eyes again. Awaiting another kiss. Nothing. Prue then noticed his warm hand was gone. His gentle warm touch on her cheek wasn't there anymore. She opened her eyes and found him gone. Prue would have broken down, but heard Piper and Phoebe's voices. She didn't have the time to break down at the moment. Though she'd break down more than ever as soon as she would be alone with Andy's leftovers and the months after this horrible loss.  
_

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

**Prue closed her eyes tightly. It was over. Finally.  
"Prue!"   
Again it was Andy's voice. She opened her eyes and thought she'd be awake or something but she was wrong. She again saw Andy. He was still in heaven. Standing there. Alone.  
**

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

"_Prue!" he yelled desperately.  
_

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

**Prue now felt how upset Andy was. This weird calmness, which had taken over them just a few minutes ago, had vanished. He was upset. Alone. He had lost Prue. The love of his life.  
**

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

"_What is this? Let me go!"  
he yelled. Andy hadn't understood this all. This was washing over him like it was Prue. It was surprising him as well. He didn't understand anything anymore. Was he really dead? But what scared him even more, were those words which came out of his own mouth, without him actually wanting or understanding these words himself.  
"Don't worry"  
a man assured him appearing next to him in a blue light.  
"Who..."  
Andy then recognized the man  
"l... Leo... right?"  
"Yes."   
"What... are you doing here... what am I doing here? Why... why did I say all those things? Why..."  
"Prue needed this to be able to go on... and fulfil her destiny... and with that also fulfilling yours..."  
"I... don't understand..."  
"You don't have to."  
Leo said and took his hands. His hands were glowing in a yellow light and Andy seemed to calm again  
"I'll explain everything to you later... come on..."  
_

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

**Prue saw everything. She had never cried as heavy as she was right now. Leo was taking him. He was taking him away from her. Prue remembered what Andy told her, that Leo was his teachers. He'd explain him everything now, but instead of seeing how he explained, the vision again clouded. It was weird, that her tears didn't fool her vision. But not even closing her eyes, kept her form seeing everything more than clear. Understanding everything. So why should tears? Prue expected to wake now any second, but the vision cleared again and the pool again showed a scene. It was of today...**


	46. Waking

_**Different Paths Part 46:**  
_**Waking  
**

**--------------------**

**Prue watched the scene. She saw all their worried faces. She saw herself floating in the air, tossing very, very uncomfortably around. She knew she saw the scene from just seconds ago... this way her surroundings got part of her visions...  
"Oh dad... why did you call them? Or did they find out?"  
Prue asked. Tears were still floating down her cheeks. The previous scenes were still hanging deep on her. Andy's death. The fact that it indeed was her fault. Prue shook her head. She needed to calm down. She had to make them less worried. somehow. They had to go away. She needed them to go away. They couldn't be close to her. Not now. Not today. Not on the 6th August.**

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

"_She calmed..."  
Andy finally said, but still continued to watch her. He didn't take his eyes off of Prue. She'd wake. She saw the last vision. She had to wake now.  
"Why isn't she waking?"  
Andy asked  
"this emotions... it were... it was about my death... I've seen her often enough in this state over this... the date of my death was the last she can see... so why the hell doesn't she wake!"  
"Cause she maybe is supposed to see more..."  
Cole said. Andy closed his eyes tightly, trying to suppress his anger, but wasn't blessed with too much success. He got up and grabbed Cole by the collar  
"okay... I'm sick of this... what the hell do you know we don't?"  
he yelled at him  
"Andy!"  
the rest exclaimed, almost out of one mouth. Victor went up to them and tried to pull Andy away from Cole. Cole helped and shimmered out of his grip.  
"Andy... calm down... he doesn't necessarily has to know more... I mean... it stood in the book that this... quest... won't end before the person, casting it, hasn't seen all, he or she is supposed to see."  
"Then why does he always make such weird comments?"  
Andy asked. Victor still held him back, feeling how the worry got Andy mad. He knew he was not only worried but also mad... and since he at the moment couldn't be mad at Prue, cause he was worried about her, his anger had to turn to someone else.  
"Honey... what do you know?"  
Phoebe asked. She was Andy's opinion. Cole wouldn't have said those things, if he didn't know something.  
"I... I'm not sure... if this... really exists... I mean..."  
"Cole... just spill it"  
Piper said staying the voice of sanity_

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

**Prue watched closely as the scene continued. She saw how upset Andy was... how his emotions were higher than any tide could be. She would have looked away, but by that time already knew she'd continue to see it anyway. She sat up more as Cole started to speak again**

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

"_There's this... legacy going on in the underworld... there supposingly had been a demon, who got one of your ancestors cursed. The curse said that the first sibling in this blood line shall suffer extreme hard times. He thought, the charmed ones could never exist... if... the first sibling... the oldest... would suffer a whole lot of bad luck... so by the time the children, which are supposed to be charmed, would became dangerous to demons and other evil beings, if not all... then at least one... would be dead already. Prue somehow... must have managed to... survive... you guys must have managed to survive... I... didn't say something earlier... because... it's a legacy... no one believes in it anymore... especially, cause you three... or better four are all still alive... I don't know more... but... there probably could be more in the book... your grandmother must have known about it as well... maybe she did something..." _

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

"**That's what Grams and mom talked about... that's the curse... I'm cursed so the charmed ones will never exist...**

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

"_Maybe the four years thing is from... from Grams... so not every year or even worse every day would happen something... and... 4 is kind of obvious... 4 sisters..." Paige said...  
"Wait a second... are... are you saying..."  
"That everything which happened... for example four years ago was Prue's fault?"  
phoebe asked. Paige nodded.  
"This is ridiculous"  
Andy said.  
"No it's not... Andy... she said she didn't want you to know... she wanted to protect you... so then it's true... she's scared the same thing as last year will happen..."  
Victor said. Andy starred at Victor and then looked at Prue._

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

**Prue was breathing heavily. They knew. Something would happen to them. She didn't know what. She didn't know how to protect them. She just knew, something would happen. She started to hyperventilate and her world went black**

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

Andy noticed Prue's irregular breath and then saw her sinking down to the bed  
"Prue..."  
he said gently and walked back up to the bed. Finally one of his hands was able to fall to her face, into her hair. With the other he held her hand  
"Prue... honey... wake up..."  
he said gently and indeed, after hours of being in the same floating status, Prue finally opened her eyes. She looked at the faces of her beloved and then gasped... backing away from Andy  
"no! No! You... you guys need to leave... go away... take the girls away... you need to get away..."  
she said, again starting to hyperventilate...  
"Dad... bring them... make them safe... get them away... please... daddy... please..."  
"Prue... it's okay..."  
Andy tried to approach her, but Prue pulled away  
"no! Nonononono! No... Dad..."  
Victor went up to the bed and tried to calm Prue down. She was completely hysterical  
"make them go... get them somewhere safe... please daddy... please... you... they... I'm cursed... something... will happen... today... make them go... make them go... please..."  
Andy just watched speechless. He couldn't go. He wouldn't.  
"It's okay... Prue... calm down... it's okay... I will... I promise... I'll make sure they're safe... don't worry... shshshsh..."  
Prue didn't calm on his tries she just tried to hide in his arms  
"make them go... they need to be safe... please... I'm cursed... please daddy... make them go... they... they need to be safe..."  
Prue repeated very fast over and over again. Victor just looked up at piper for help. They all knew, Prue wouldn't stop until they were at least out of the room and it seemed like Piper was the only one still somewhat clear.  
"Okay... umm... let's go... leave them alone for a while"  
Piper said and Paige, Phoebe and Cole reacted immediately. Andy stayed at his place and still tried to somehow help Prue. To at least hold her hand. But she always would jump scared back from his touch.  
"Andy... c'mon..."  
"No!"  
Andy yelped  
"I'm not going anywhere..."  
"Andy... please..."  
"No. I'm not going. You understand, Prue!"  
he asked in a serious voice, looking at her  
"Andy... please... this has no use... c'mon... let her calm down..."  
"No!"  
Prue just closed her eyes tightly and tried to cover her ears as well. She still heard Andy and wanted it to stop so badly and suddenly a force pulled on Andy and he flew out of the room and also the apartment, after him the door of Victor's apartment shut. Piper looked shocked and then fast left as well. After several more minutes, Prue at least seemed somewhat calm and clear  
"okay... c'mon... drink some water"  
Victor told her. And helped her drink some of a glass.  
"You... need to go too... I'm... today's 6th August... something will happen to you if you stay with me..."  
Victor wanted to say 'no', but didn't want to end up like Andy  
"okay... you call if you need me, okay?"  
Prue nodded slightly. Victor just kissed her forehead and left  
"how's she?"  
"I'm worried... but... she sent me out now as well... she's very scared..."  
"She'll not do something to herself, right?"  
"No..."  
Victor said a little too fats, even for his opinion  
"I at least I Hope so... considering how hysteric she's right about now."  
he added and sighted  
"dad... do you remember anything about this curse?"  
"No... I guess your grandma didn't want me to know... because I already was enough against all of this... magic thing... especially after the first attack on Prue..."  
"Cole... do you know something about how... to break the curse?"  
Phoebe asked, but Cole just shook his head.  
"Anything in the book?"  
Piper called over to Paige  
"nope... it seems like Grams doesn't want us to see the page..."  
Paige answered. Andy juts stood at Victor's huge windows. He starred outside. Onto San Francisco. He couldn't believe this was happening. He didn't move nor speak. He just starred outside. It was taking him very hard, that Prue just pushed him back like this. Even used her powers on him, what she never had done before. This was so unreal. Prue didn't talk to him. Didn't want him at her side. He couldn't protect her. Couldn't stand by her side in this hard time. He'd like it more, if he'd get killed again than this. Everything was better than this.

**-------------------- **

**AN:  
**PrUe AnD AnDy: you should read chapter 36 and 37 once more.  
prue did have horrible nightmares the sooner it was getting to the day andy died, what was 6th october 1999. she had a bad feeling on that day sth would happen. the nightmares kept her up like permanently and she was in a very bad mood cause she barely slept. her family got worried and so she decided to take things in her own hands... and that's why she made the vision quest. i thought it was clear after all the things i wrote... but it seems like things are not clear, so i haveedit chapter 36 and added some special scenes to it...


	47. handling some things

_**Different Paths Part 47:**  
_**Handling some things  
**

**--------------------**

Prue didn't loose time. She needed to talk to someone who knew more. It was whether her grandmother or mother. She at the end decided for Patty. She had to read what stood in the book and Patty was able to freeze people. Probably even her sisters.  
"Mom?"  
she called  
"mom, please, I need you"  
she said lowly. She knew it was enough. Patty appeared beside the bed  
"what's with this curse? How can I break it"  
"Prue..."  
"Mom... I can find out with and without you... it's only easier and maybe even faster with you... and I'm not really in the mood of loosing one of them or my daughters, okay? So how can I break it?"  
"You have to find Pandora's Box... say a spell, which's in the book, over it. This spell will release one of the contents of the box. You'll have to fight it. Whether you win, the curse will vanish and the content will retreat into the box again. Or you loose and die."   
Prue closed her eyes and swallowed  
"you don't have to do this, Prue"  
"yes I do... I can't risk their lives... but I have to do it alone..."  
Prue said sighting and then looked at her mom  
"I need you to freeze them so I can put a spell on them, so they don't follow... can't follow..."  
"Prue... this is... very dangerous..."  
"I know... but I have to do this alone... and I need to search the book... for more... I know about Pandora's Box... but I don't know where to find it..."   
Patty nodded and Prue sat up  
"is ... is it true... what... what Paige... guessed? Did Grams manipulate the curse?"  
Patty nodded  
"you'd else be cursed every day. It took her months to write something to at least change the curse slightly. The four years is only the condition, because she wrote it to you and your sisters..."  
"Why did... you never tell me something about this? I could have..."  
"we never wanted you to find out about this... we didn't want to risk your life because of feeling guilty..."  
Prue just got up and went to the door. She opened it a crack and then looked at her mom.  
"You sure?"  
Prue nodded. Patty stretched her hands out into the other room and with a move of her hands, the whole room froze. Patty's powers had been a lot more proceeded than Piper's and so she also could freeze witches.  
"Thanks mom"  
"be careful..."  
Prue didn't answer. She just stepped into the room and looked around. Everyone was lost in their tracks. Prue then saw the book, which was held by Paige. She picked it from her and placed it on the couch table of her father. She then sat down on the couch, next to her dad and started to flip. After a few seconds the book opened itself  
"thank you"   
Prue whispered and waited for the book to stop

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

Selena  
Selena is the daughter of Eleanor, which is the daughter of Cassandra Wentworth.  
Selena had hypnotic powers, she channelled with a special necklace. This necklace was handed down to her daughter who hid it. Its hiding place is one of the greatest family secrets our bloodline shares.  
Selena fell in love with a demon called X'RUS after her beloved husband James died. Her daughter Eva and all the following daughters of the blood line were cursed to be single children forever. This curse can only be broken by the, so called, 'oldest'

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

Prue read through it and then nodded  
"great... what use has this? Grams... don't you have something more... effective?"  
she asked and the book started to flip again

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

Evocation of the omens of blood  
This ceremony was performed on Selena by X'RUS.  
X'RUS had found a way into Selena's heart and discovered her powers. With this knowledge he discovered her destiny about becoming an ancestor of the charmed ones.  
To keep the destiny of the charmed ones from unfolding he performed the evocation of the omens of blood on Selena. This ceremony actually is a curse. Every daughter of Selena shall only receive one daughter or else the oldest shall be cursed forever. Bad luck will be lurking always in the home of this child.  
The curse can only be reversed by the 'oldest' herself. She has to search Pandora's Box and release with a spell one of its contents.  
The following battle has two possible ways of ending. Whether the 'oldest' wins or losses against this content. Either way, the curse will be broken and the content will be banished back into the box.  
If the 'oldest' should experience suicide the curse will hunt down the next set of siblings. Is she dieing a natural death it, the curse, too is reversed.

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

Prue covered her face. The next pair of siblings would be her kids. The curse would move on to Meghan. Prue shook her head, not even wanting to think about this. She turned pages and found the page of Pandora's Box right behind it. Prue fast skimmed over the page. She knew most of these things.  
"Why the hell is there nothing how to get there!"  
Prue asked angrily and then looked down to find the spell she needed to get one of the contents onto her butt.   
"Great..."  
Prue said and then scribbled the spell down on some little paper. She then removed her necklace, she had gotten from her mom, a few days before she died, and held it up high, while standing in the middle of the room

"From whence they came, take them now, for 24 hours, banish their powers.  
From whence they came, take them now, for 24 hours, banish their powers.  
From whence they came, take them now, for 24 hours, banish their powers."

After Prue had repeated the spell three times bluish lights came from her sisters, Andy and Cole. She swallowed hard as they settled in Prue's necklace, which now was shimmering purplish. Blue lights and a red crystal. She had used the spell rex had used to get to their powers and this time the powers weren't caught in a lantern but in her necklace. She looked down at it and swallowed  
"you guys have to forgive me..."  
she whispered and put the necklace around her neck again. Then went to the book and ripped the page of Pandora's Box off. She then went to her father's kitchen and set the page on fire. Then threw it into his sink, where it could burn down without any danger. She again swallowed and then moved over to Andy. She looked at him and saw the watery eyes he had. She touched his cheek gently  
"I'm sorry baby... but... I can't... risk your life... watch our girls for me, okay?"  
she closed her eyes again and bit her lip. Then opened them again and made herself bigger. She pecked his lips and then started chanting again, while looking into his desperate green eyes

"As this is said 

Through time and space

Take me to

Another place"

After the last words Prue vanished and was transported to the place she desired to be. To the box.


	48. such accidents

_**Different Paths Part 48:**  
_**Such accidents  
**

**--------------------**

Just after Prue had left, the time started to go again. Andy suddenly had a very weird feeling and heard Prue's voice ringing in his head   
'watch our girls for me.'  
he felt his lips burning and touched them slightly.

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

Paige had been looking down at the book, but there now wasn't a book anymore.  
"Hey... what the... heck..."  
she asked  
"where..."

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

Victor knew the feeling of being frozen and looked at piper  
"why did ya freeze me?"  
"I... didn't freeze you, dad..."  
"Don't lie to me... I'm still your father..."

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

"Oh my gosh!"  
Cole exclaimed as he saw the still burning paper in the sink  
"where'd come that from?"  
he asked as him and Phoebe went over to the sink and turned the water on, to stop the fire, but it was too late. The page was already too burned to still be able to read something

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

Andy listened to the reactions and got a very bad feeling in his gut. The feelings, the voices of his charges, well of Prue and the kids were gone.  
"Prue..."  
he said lowly and turned around going for the bedroom.  
"Prue!"  
He opened the door and found it the bed and the room empty. He turned around and found Paige hovering over the opened book by Victor  
"look... it's opened 'evocation of the omens of blood'"  
Paige read aloud   
"there... there's a page missing!"  
Piper exclaimed seeing the leftovers of the page Prue had ripped off  
"I think we found that..."  
Phoebe added and grabbed the rest of the page, holding it up high  
"but... how'd she do that... she can't freeze time... and especially not us..."  
Piper said. Andy only listened with one ear. He read what was standing in the book  
"oh my god. No!"  
he exclaimed  
"Prue! No!"   
he yelled, as if it'd bring her back  
"you don't just run off and leave me to raise our daughters understand!"  
he yelled.  
"What?"  
Phoebe asked and went over to the book as well  
"This ceremony actually is a curse. Every daughter of Selena shall only receive one daughter or else the oldest shall be cursed forever. Bad luck will be lurking always in the home of this child. The curse can only be reversed by the 'oldest' herself. She has to search Pandora's Box and release with a spell one of its contents. The following battle has two possible ways of ending. Whether the 'oldest' wins or losses against this content. Either way, the curse will be broken and the content will be banished back into the box."  
Piper read out aloud. Andy had closed his eyes to local Prue, but he couldn't. not even the girls he could local.  
"What the hell did you do!"  
he asked and looked at Cole  
"you need to take me to her... my powers... seem to be... blocked in some sort of way..."  
"What?"  
Phoebe asked  
"I can't sense Prue and the girls anymore."  
"Try to orb"  
Piper told him Andy tried, but nothing happened.   
"Vase..."  
Paige said, trying to call for a vase, but it too, didn't work.  
"Piper..."  
Phoebe said. Piper concentrated on the same vase and tried to explode it. Nothing. Everyone looked at Cole who just shook his head  
"nope... nada"   
he said  
"she bound our powers!"  
Phoebe yelled in frustration  
"Pruedence Halliwell, you so will regret this!"   
Piper cursed  
"could you people stop! Prue's life is at stake if she's at Pandora's Box already..."  
Andy said more worried about Prue than anything else.  
"Leo!"  
he yelled, praying he still had his powers. And instant later the familiar blue lights appeared  
"Andy... I'm busy..."  
"I don't the fuck care what they are babbling about up there... Prue's life is in danger... we need to change powers..."  
"What?"   
"The... the spell... you guys used this spell..."  
Andy said and started to flip the book and opened it on the spell they used against that darklighter a few years ago.  
"I need to be there, Leo... I can't leave her alone..."  
"Wait a second... shouldn't one of us go?"  
Paige threw in...  
"It anyway has no use... you can't channel Prue with Leo's powers..."   
"But I can transport. And the girls should still have their powers. So if I take the girls and we go to get Prue... it should work..."  
"Are you guys seriously thinking about this?"   
Victor asked  
"Prue doesn't want you there... she doesn't want to risk your guys' life... shouldn't you leave it then?"   
"No... Andy's right. He has to go. Prue needs him. If she didn't want to protect him, she had taken him along. She needs all the support she can have..."  
Piper said and stepped up to Leo. She looked into his eyes and laid a hand on him  
"What's mine is yours, what's yours is mine, Let our powers cross the line. I offer up my gift to share, Switch our powers through the air."   
Piper chanted and then looked at Andy  
"what? You wanted to do it? You have no witch powers you can't read such kind of spells..."  
she told him and went up to Andy. Andy held her hands and piper recited again  
"What's mine is yours, what's yours is mine, Let our powers cross the line. I offer up my gift to share, Switch our powers through the air."  
Andy felt his powers return and breathed eased. He closed his eyes and looked at the rest, about to disappear  
"wait!"  
Piper said before he could go.  
"Take dad along. Prue wanted him there the last few hours... and... Someone has to make sure... the girls come really home, after you send them away."  
Piper said. Andy nodded   
"Victor..."  
Victor got up  
"what do I have to do?"   
"Nothing. Andy said and placed a hand on his shoulder, then finally orbed out  
"bring her home safe, you understand?"   
Phoebe yelled after them. The sisters exchanged worried glances   
"May... maybe we should go home"  
Leo put in...  
"How... no powers, remember?"  
Cole asked  
"5 people... my jeep's downstairs..."  
piper told them  
"then let's go"  
Paige said lowly, grabbing the book again and getting up as well

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

Andy and Victor appeared at Darryl's.  
"Whoa..."  
Victor said... holding onto Andy for support  
"you okay?"  
"I just... need to sit down a second."  
"Okay... then I get Anna..."  
Andy told him  
"Darryl!"  
he yelled and started to walk around to local his partner  
"Andy... everything... alright again?"  
"Umm... not really... where's Anna?"  
"We took her and Chris down for a nap."  
"Darryl... I don't have time for this. Where's Anna?"  
"Upstairs. Dorian's room"  
"thanks"  
Andy said and ran upstairs. He smiled seeing Anna sleeping. She looked like a little angel. He sat down on the bed and started to crawl her head  
"Brianna, sweetie... wake up..."  
Anna opened her eyes, and as always when she was woken in the middle of her sleep started whining. Andy picked her up  
"shshshsh... it's okay... daddy's here..."  
he told her, picked her dummy and placed it in her mouth. He started to crawl her back gently as Anna slowly calmed and sucked on her dummy. He got up and went back to Victor. He couldn't waste precious time. He returned to Victor and looked at him  
"we gotta go on... you ready?"  
"It has to be, now does it?"  
Andy didn't answer and just removed his hand from Anna's back and placed it back on Victor's shoulder, this time orbing to Meghan's pre-school. He went with Victor and Anna to Mags' classroom and entered it after knocking  
"hello Ms. Smith."  
"Hello... Mr. Trudeau it is right?"  
"Yes... umm... I need to pick my daughter. Her mother had an accident and she'd like to see her daughters."  
"Oh my god. Is your wife okay?"  
"Yeah... she'll be... can you... get Meghan now for me, please?"  
"Yes... alright."  
A few minutes later the woman reappeared with Meghan in tow  
"daddy? Is mommy okay?"  
"You know mommy... she's a fighter..."  
he said forcing a smile...  
"c'mon... I'll explain everything to you in the car"  
he said and took her hand   
"thanks"  
he told Ms. Smith and then left with Victor and the girls again. Outside he orbed them to the manor. He didn't know where to explain to the girls else what was wrong.  
"Why are we not at hospital?"  
Mags asked looking around. Andy went over to the couch, so Victor could sit down as well  
"come here, princess"  
Andy said  
"what's wrong..."  
"Mom didn't have such an accident, princess... it was a demonical..."   
"Is mom okay?"  
"yes... but... to keep her safe... you two need to bring me and grandpa to mommy... you understand?"   
"Why?"  
"Princess, we don't have time to explain. You and Anna just concentrate on mommy and bring us there. And then you bring grandpa back here... and wait till mommy and me are back..."   
"But..."  
"Maggie..."  
Meghan was very scared and didn't understand this all but knew her mom needed her now.   
"okay."  
She said hesitantly  
"Anna... bring me to mommy, okay?"  
Anna nodded  
"ota"  
she said. Andy looked at Meghan  
"sweetie... hold mine and grandpa's hand, okay?"  
Meghan just nodded and did as she was told to.


	49. Life or death?

_**Different Paths Part 49:**  
_**Life or death?  
**

**--------------------**

Prue appeared in a huge cavern. The only light in it was coming from a burning fire. She saw, somewhat far from her away, two figures, which seemed to play chess. Everywhere treasures were placed. Magical treasures. Mythical treasures. Treasures, humans would only know by fairy tales. One of the figures, a white dressed one, looked up and with that the view of the figure in black followed. Both immediately got up and went towards her  
"you need to leave... no one is allowed to be here"  
the person in black told Prue  
"who are you, my child?"  
she asked  
"I'm one of the charmed ones... I'm the 'oldest'"  
the white dressed person bowed in reverence  
"my pleasure"  
Prue smiled and was about to tell her, to stop it, when the angel continued to speak  
"but, as much as I hate to say this... you really have to leave..."  
"I can't... not without Pandora's Box..."  
"You can't have it"  
"evil! You have to excuse him... but... we're the guardians of those magical treasures and we can't allow anyone to take them. They're too powerful"  
"I understand, but I don't wanna take anything... I just want to... see the box and read that spell in front of it... if that's okay..."  
Prue had handed the spell to the angel and waited for her response "I understand, you want to try this, but before I give you access... I want you to know, that just by breaking this curse, destiny still will stroke, when it has to..."  
"I know. But I need to get rid of being guilty for it..."  
"Follow me"  
the angel told her but the demon stopped her  
"what the hell are you doing?"  
"She won't even touch it... so why not let her proceed..."  
"Okay... fine... but you'll be the one responsible if something happens our bosses don't like..."  
"Yeah whatever... better think about your next move..."  
she told him, moved one of the figures on the chess board and looked at Prue. She went with her to the desired box  
"there you go... you do realize you can't open it, right?"  
Prue smiled  
"naturally, thank you"  
she said nodding  
"I wish you success"  
Prue's smile disappeared and she just nodded as the angel went back to the chess board. Prue looked back down on the spell and then back at the box. She closed her eyes tightly as she started to recite the spell three times. As she had finished it, the box glowed as well as Prue herself. She was lifted into the air and forced to stay in a special position. Her arms on her sides, hanging loosely down. Her body a line. Her head forced back into her neck, so she had to look at the ceiling. Prue felt energy surrounding her as she opened her mouth and at the same time the box opened and Prue received the content of it. She immediately could feel all the pain and suffer the whole world received after Pandora had opened the box for the first time. She could feel every detail. Every little physical or psychical pain any human ever walking the earth had suffered. It was overwhelming. When she finally was let down to the earth again she automatically broke together. She was hard breathing, felt like she wouldn't get any air anymore and she indeed couldn't. She could feel people suffocate. She was burning up, since illness was one of those plagues Pandora 's Box had brought over the human race. She couldn't move one muscle anymore, since it was like everything of it was hurt, cut. It was almost impossible to receive any more pain and suffer. Soon enough Prue found herself laying on the floor. She didn't have the strength to sit or move. To back herself on something, anything. She didn't know where anyone could get the strength of fighting this. It seemed impossible to fight. She felt herself weakening by the second. And who wouldn't? she was suffering under every wound, every illness, every feeling of loss, every feeling of guilt, that ever was felt on earth. There were many people who would have died right away.

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

The girls, Victor and Andy soon enough appeared in the cavern as well. Andy looked around, but he wasn't the one, to notice the dieing Prue on the floor.  
"Mommy!"  
Mags yelled seeing her mom. She wanted to run to her, but at the same time felt her dad's and grandpa's hand holding tightly onto her, to keep her in space.   
"Let me go!"  
she yelled, trying to pull away. Anna started to cry immediately as well. 

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

Prue heard her children, but thought she was just hallucinating and then suddenly gasped for air. There was so much more worriedness, so much more pain there right now. It just suddenly had appeared. She yelled out in pain, not understanding why this suddenly was so much stronger.

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

Andy handed Anna to Victor and then knelt down to Meghan's height. He grabbed her other hand as well and made her look at him. Her face was soaking by the tears she had already cried  
"hey... hey... shshsh... it's okay... you can't see mom now... but... I promise I'll get her home safe... okay?"  
"what's with mommy..."  
she asked ignoring her father's words  
"nothing is wrong... okay? Mags... look at me... okay? You make sure grandpa and Anna are okay... I care for mommy... okay? Mags... please..."   
"I want mommy..."  
"I know... and she'll be at home in no time, but... now... princess... please... you help mommy the best... if you make sure grandpa and Anna are safe... bring them home, okay?"  
Meghan looked at her mom, heard her screaming in pain and she knew nothing was okay. She didn't know what to do. She wanted to stay with her. But the fact her dad told her to leave, that everything would be okay, made her doubt everything her eyes saw.   
"no"  
she repeated, starring at her mom. Andy saw where Mags was looking and grabbed her face into his hands and made her look back at him. he didn't want Mags to remember Prue that way if this was the last time she'd see her mother  
"Mags... please... go now... make grandpa be safe, okay? Can you do that for me..."  
Meghan looked at her dad with tears streaming out of her eyes. All the pressure he put on her, only made her worst  
"for mommy?"  
Mags was very scared and shocked, but she knew this was the only thing she could do 'for mommy'. She slowly nodded and then backed into her grandpa. She was still crying. But hoped, her dad would somehow manage to make everything okay again. She grabbed with her little, visibly shaking hands, her grandfather's and used his strength and some of her sister's powers to get them back to the manor.

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

Andy hurried towards Prue, but was blocked by the demon again  
"get away..."  
"This is my wife... the hell I'm going away!"   
he told him and pushed him away. He went for Prue and picked her into his arms  
"Prue..."  
he whispered, holding her and then took her hand. Prue screamed in pain. Andy was so close and this made the feelings so much worse. She thought it was again just an illusion, but when she was picked up, she knew it was true. He was there.  
"I'm here, I'm here... it's okay... you have to fight it... okay? You need fight, honey... for me... for the girls..."  
"I... I can't... it... it's so..."  
Prue couldn't go on. She was suffocating by all this pain. It was impossible to keep up fighting.  
"Yes you can... you can... I know you can... honey... please... don't leave me alone... you can't leave me alone..."  
Andy begged and kissed her gently, then turned to look at good and evil  
"do something!"  
Andy yelled helplessly at them  
"do you know the legend?"  
"What legend!"  
Andy asked in tears. He knew Prue was about to die in his arms, if he didn't have a solution for this all very, very soon and those two were standing there doing nothing.  
"of Pandora's Box, you idiot!"  
the evil said, he had been even more bad mooded since Andy had hit him.  
"No..."  
Andy said hopeless...  
"Only the last content of the box can help her..."   
"I don't know what the last content is..."  
he yelled and looked desperately down at Prue. Searching the answer in his wife. He knew she'd know the answer. She was the best in such mythical stuff. He didn't know anyone else he could rely more on in things like this. The only one he could ask couldn't help him, because she was the one needing him now the most.  
"Prue... no... Please..."   
he begged seeing how her body seemed to weaken more and more.   
"You can't leave me"  
he said and leaned down. His forehead lying on hers.  
"You can't leave me..."  
he told her a barely breathing Prue. Suddenly a song sprang to his mind. He always thought, it'd match perfectly into what he felt for Prue 'you light up my life, you give me hope to carry on... you light up my days and fill my nights with song...'  
"You give me hope... to carry on."  
He whispered lightly as he repeated the passage of the song. Prue reacted on what he said and gasped once more for air   
"what? What... Prue what? Hope... you mean... you mean it's Hope? that's it? Hope?"  
he asked, desperately searching for the answer. Prue couldn't help him anymore. She just starred into his eyes. Andy looked into her eyes and knew he found the solution but he wasn't too sure how to give Prue Hope.  
"okay... umm... Hope..."  
Andy started to babble.  
"you... do have to go on... because... cause life is wonderful... you are wonderful... the girls... they need you, you know... isn't that Hope? Everything will be okay, honey, I promise... I'll bring you home... I'll promise..."  
he told her desperately. He kissed her almost a million times and feared that each of them could be the last. And then his worst fears came true: Prue stopped to gasp for air. She stopped and starred with wide open eyes at him. Andy's heart skipped a beat, not sure about what was going to happen now. Prue then was pulled out of his arms, lifted into the air again and forced to that same position as something was coming out of Prue's body. Andy watched speechless about what was happening to his wife. Suddenly Prue fell to the floor again. As if someone threw her down. Andy smoothed her fall and placed her back in his arms. Andy looked down at her. She didn't breath. She was very pale. She was cold. Her eyes were wide open and empty. She didn't move. She was dead.   
"No! No!"  
he yelled and started to shake her, but Prue wouldn't react. He brought her lifeless body closer to his.  
"No! You can't leave me."  
he sobbed into her chest  
"I can't... Prue... damn it... wake! Please..."  
he cried and let her down, looking at her eyes again  
"damn it breath!"  
nothing happened. Nothing seemed to work. He had lost Prue. He again buried his face in her lifeless body and cried into her for a few endless minutes. After a while he suddenly felt a hand in his hair. He tried shrugging it off. But it didn't go away.  
"Damn it! Stop!"   
he yelled, looking back at the angel and her buddy, who stood several feet further away. He had thought it was one of them who crawled his hair. He starred speechless at them and how far away they were. It couldn't have been one of them. He didn't dare to look down but when he finally did he saw Prue looking with lovely eyes at him  
"I... love you"  
she breathed, almost only mouthed. Andy's heart skipped a beat as she spoke. She was alive. He starred at her. He watched her chest moving up and down. Her warm skin, which was also getting a bit more of colour again. She breathed. She was alive. He leaned down and kissed her the most passionate way he ever did.  
"I love you too!"  
he told her and again held her tight. He again buried his still wet face in her chest. Prue smiled lightly and wrapped her arms loosely around him. She was too weak for any serious moves. slowly a dark green essence started to float out of Prue's body. The curse was leaving her body. Prue had won. It was gone.  
"Bri... bring... bring me... home..."  
she whispered into his ear. She was seeking for a bed. For rest. For sleep. For peace. For her family.

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

Andy brought Prue home and placed her on the bed. He had been caressing and starring at her for about half an hour now. Prue just starred back into his eyes, holding as tight as possible onto his hand   
"the..."  
"Shsh... don't talk... just sleep a little..."   
Andy said gently. Prue closed her eyes and shook her head   
"Prue... you need to rest now..."  
"I... I... will... bu... but... I... wanna... s... see... the... the girls..."  
"You can see them later, honey... just... close your eyes now for a while..."  
Prue shook her head  
"please..."  
she whispered. Andy sighted and nodded, he orbed out and to the manor.

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

The girls had stayed with Piper, phoebe and Paige. Piper was still, almost an hour of them being back, trying to calm Brianna down, Leo held Chris and gave him a bottle and Meghan was crying hysterical into phoebe's chest. Paige crawled her back. Meghan hadn't spoken one word.  
"shshshs... mommy will be okay... I promise..."   
Paige told her, trying to calm her finally sown. She then saw Andy orbing in. he didn't talk to her. He just picked Meghan up, who started to cry into her father's chest right away, without a word he then went to Piper and picked his youngest daughter up as well. He was about to orb out again, when Piper held onto him  
"don't you dare..."  
she told him  
"what's with Prue?"  
Phoebe asked an instant later  
"she's weak... but okay..."  
he told them and finally disappeared again. 

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

"Look"   
Andy whispered to Meghan and Brianna as they reappeared in their bedroom. Prue opened her eyes and turned her head to see hr girls   
"mommy!"  
Meghan yelled and tried to get out of her father's grip and this time she won and Andy had to let her fall onto the bed. Meghan right away crawled up to her mom and held her tight, as if she'd never let her go again. Prue smiled and closed her eyes, then moved her hand on Meghan's back.  
"Mags... get off of mom..."  
Andy told her. Prue just opened her eyes and looked at Andy. Andy read her eyes and knew she wanted to hold their baby  
"Prue..."  
Andy sighted and gave in. he gently set Brianna in Prue's awaiting arms as well.  
"Shshshshs"  
was everything she still could manage to tell her daughters. Andy kissed her forehead and sat down next to her again. He again started to stare into her eyes... crawling her face. Prue's eyes were closed. She had fallen asleep just after she had her girls with her. She had her family there. They all were okay. So it was okay. She fell into a deep slumber and wouldn't wake for a long while.


	50. Outcome

_**Different Paths Part 50:**  
_**Outcome  
**

**--------------------**

Prue woke in her bed. She was alone. She felt it. She opened her eyes and she was right. Slowly she dragged her still weak body up. She slowly went down and searched for Andy and the girls. She found them in the living. They had been watching some DVD, little mermaid, naturally, then they ate some pizza and now Andy and Mags where wresting, while Anna played a bit off with some doll of hers. Prue leaned onto the door frame and smiled watching. Her little family was perfect and she almost had lost it today. She closed her eyes and enjoyed hearing her daughters' laugh.

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

**_It's that feeling again  
That's making me high  
It's like floating on air  
Reaching out for the sky _**

That feeling again  
When two hearts collide  
It comes deep from within  
And your Soul's open wide

It's like you're caught in free fall  
With no cares at all  
Look out then you can see  
It's as high as you can get  
Open your heart and let it be

Love is all around  
Love is all around  
Look at what we found  
Love is all around

It's that feeling again  
And you can't hold it in  
As you open your eyes  
Your head starts to spin

Ooh, that feeling again  
When you don't have to try  
It's that ten out of ten  
That's so hard to describe

Interlude (It don't get any better than this)

I can't describe what  
Makes me feel that way  
No, you can't fight it  
Just let it happen naturally

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

"Mama"  
Prue was pulled out of her thoughts and opened her eyes, seeing Brianna look at her. Prue's smile grew. She entered the living and picked her daughter up. Then moved closer to Andy and Meghan and received a gentle kiss from Andy.  
"Are you feeling better, mommy?"  
"Yes... a lot better"  
Prue told her smiling  
"will you never again be so weird?"  
Prue sighted  
"I'll always be a tiny bit weird on this day, princess... but I'll never be this weird again... I promise"  
Prue said smiling. Andy smiled as well and kissed her forehead, wrapping his arms around Prue to pull her closer.

**/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

A few hours later, it was almost midnight, the girls were deep asleep. Brianna, still in Prue's arms and Meghan was laying a little off in the armchair. Prue and Andy just kissed and Andy kept crawling her hands and hair gently.  
"I can't believe I almost lost you today..."  
Andy whispered  
"I'm sorry... for everything..."  
"It's okay..."  
"No... It's not... I hurt you very much today..."  
"You had your reasons..."  
Andy told her and kissed her again  
"can't you just... accept my damn apology?"  
Prue asked, half laughing  
"okay..."  
he answered, giving up  
"I forgive you... better"  
"a lot!"  
she said smiling and they melted in another kiss.  
"you know... I never realized... something until today... well I realized a lot things... but two things were just so... surreal..."  
"what are you talking about?"  
"Andy... on... on the swing... when I saw you for the last time... you were... calm... you..."  
Andy smiled. He knew what she meant  
"it was like... recording something... a year ago... I had to... practically record myself..."  
"so it weren't... the elders' words or something?"  
"no... it were mine... just another version's... an older version of Andy's words... an Andy who knew how things would turn out and that it had to be..."  
"I love you"  
she whispered. Andy kissed her again and then looked back at her  
"and the other?"  
"I... the day after your funeral... my sisters... I think it was Phoebe... said... something about... she really will miss you... and... then I said something... I don't even know why I said it... that... I think... that you'll always be with us..."  
"that's what I told you... that you will not loose me..."  
"yes... but..."  
"shshshsh, it's over..."  
he whispered and kissed her passionately.  
"We should get the kids to bed..."  
"no. they're sleeping so peacefully. Maybe we just should... all sleep here... I mean... our couch isn't that bad, now is it?"  
Prue asked smiling and pecked him once again...  
"I should probably go... see my sisters..."  
"they probably will be asleep already..."  
"believe me... they're not..."  
"I'm not gonna let you..."  
Andy was interrupted by the chime of the clock. 12 o'clock. The day was over. Finally. It was the 7th August. Prue and Andy both kind of held their breath, looking into each other's eyes, as if they were waiting for something to happen in these last seconds of the day. Then the clock stopped chiming  
"it's over..."  
Andy whispered and kissed her. He had never let go off Prue, if it wasn't for the telephone, which started ringing just that instant.  
"It's after midnight, who could that be!"  
Andy asked  
"I can't get up"  
Prue said smirking, meaning she had Brianna on her lap.  
"ohhh suddenly you can't anymore, huh?"  
Andy told her. Prue just grinned as he pecked her before getting up. Prue watched him go and smiled. She then looked down at Brianna, who was sleeping peacefully in her lap. Then glanced up at Meghan who started to stir. She was probably woken up by the telephone. Prue smiled and got up. She went over to the arm chair and crawled Meghan's face and hair gently to get her back to sleep. Meghan wasn't going back to sleep, but opened her eyes. Mags snuggled into Prue's leg, since Prue was sitting on the armlean of the seat. Prue continued to crawl her and after several minutes she just grabbed Mags' hand and walked out of the room with her and Anna to bring them to bed. They walked past Andy and Prue immediately saw, something was wrong. Andy put the phone down and starred at Prue  
"what's wrong?"  
Prue asked, repeating his look  
"Andy, what's wrong?"  
she asked again since Andy didn't answer her  
"my... my dad... he... he's dead."

_**The end**_


End file.
